Game Programming vs. Game Design

What's the difference between game programming and game design?

Game Design Home | Find Game Design Schools

Should You Pursue Game Programming or Game Design?

To an industry outsider, the distinction between game design and game programming might seem negligible, but if you plan to make a career out of one or the other, the quicker you learn the difference, the better. It's not quite night vs. day—but you could definitely call it concept vs. execution. Game designers are responsible for the overall creative vision of the game—story, characters and game-play. Programmers, on the other hand, have the technological know-how to implement the game designers' ideas and bring them to life using computer code.

What is Game Programming?

At the fundamental level, video game programmers are a type of software engineer—engineers whose specialty is writing video game software. Game programming involves taking the design specifications of the game designers, integrating the art and sound, and translating it all into a playable game. Doing this requires a lot of mathematics, logic and computer skills, particularly in the area of programming languages like C/C++, scripting languages and application programming interfaces or APIs. It also takes great communication skills in order to interact effectively with the other team members working on a game.

The programming of a game is a complex endeavor. It includes mapping the terrain of the game environment, implementing artificial intelligence for non-player characters, and connecting player input via the controller to the events happening onscreen. It's no wonder that programmers account for a huge proportion of employees at any given game studio. There are also a number of sub-specialties within game programming—graphics programming, network programming and AI programming—to name just a few.

Becoming a Game Programmer

Like other software engineers, game programmers usually hold a bachelor's degree or higher in a discipline such as computer science or software engineering. However, an entry-level job such as computer support specialist only requires an associate's degree in a computer-related field—and it's sometimes possible to work your way up to a game programming position if you acquire the relevant expertise.

Essentially, the most important prerequisite to the job is proficiency with at least one of the major programming languages used in gaming. Familiarity with the game industry is also a plus.

Game Programming Salaries

Because it is a technically skilled occupation, game programmers earn competitive salaries and are often among the highest-paid professionals in the game production industry. The average annual salary for game programmers in 2009, according to the Game Developer Salary Survey, was $80,320, while the average game industry salary as a whole was $75,573. Not only that, salaries skyrocketed for experienced programmers—36 percent higher than average for programmers with 6 or more years of experience.

The game industry is highly desirable, though. Competition for jobs can be more intense than in other areas of software programming—so don't bypass any knowledge or education that can give you an edge.

Start a Game Programming Career

Take the first step by getting the career training you’ll need. Browse our directory of game programming schools, request information, and get started today.