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A Video Game Design Career Breaks Stereotypes

You may love playing video games, but as anyone who's serious about a video game design career probably already knows, having a successful career in this field requires more than the ability to lounge on your couch for hours on end with your Xbox controller in one hand and a bag of chips in the other.

In fact, far from this gamer stereotype, successful video game designers have a surprisingly broad skill set. They combine everything from graphic design abilities and computer programming know-how to creative writing talent and a better-than-average knowledge of human psychology.

Not only will your video game design career require a wide range of expertise, but many video game designers report working intense schedules. Twelve-hour days and weekend work are often common when release dates are near and deadlines are looming. But for many video game designers, working in a career field they're passionate about makes it all worthwhile.

With video games fast becoming a dominant form of American entertainment, and global video game revenues projected to hit $68.3 billion in 2012 according to a recent Digital Media Wire report, avid gamers and would-be technology professionals alike are setting their sights on video game design careers in rapidly increasing numbers.

Top Five Reasons to Consider a Video Game Design Career

Not afraid of an intense job as long as it involves doing what you love? Here are some reasons why it might be a good idea to consider a video game design career:

1. Enjoy job security. According to a recent CNET news report, Americans now spend approximately one third of their entertainment dollars on video games. What's more, most people now play video games more often than they go to the movies. Given the American public's seemingly insatiable thirst for gaming, and the video game industry's recent revenue growth rate of about 10 percent per year, a video game design career is a pretty safe bet when it comes to continuous employment.

2. Create art. Video game design careers have evolved in recent years. A far cry from the early days of Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, many of today's video games rival feature-length films in terms of the artistry involved. As Alex Pham notes in his LA Times article, video game designers are in demand. Today's video game designers "invent characters, write dialogue, compose music, create digital scenes and write the software that rules these fantasy worlds. A blockbuster game can require more than 100 developers, each working for two or more years, to complete."

3. Work in a casual environment. As you'd probably guess, your video game design career won't require you to have many three-piece suits in your closet. In fact, showering daily will probably be optional. In a blog post for the web site Gamasutra, game designer Anthony Hart-Jones writes of enjoying "company sponsored paint-balling and karting, activity adventures and even paid sick leave if you happen to do something stupid like break your coccyx falling down the stairs." Cool.

4. Choose the job that suits your talent. As video games become ever more complex, there's room for more specialization when it comes to your video game design career. Whether you're drawn to writing narratives, creating graphics, producing sound effects, or doing the actual coding that allows games to run, you'll likely be able to focus mainly on the parts of video game design you like best.

5. Make money doing what you love. According to PayScale.com, video game design career salaries are typically between about $38,000 and $88,000 per year—more than enough to let you live comfortably while keeping your own gaming systems current and your video game library stocked with the latest titles. What more could you possibly ask?

Take the First Step Toward a Video Game Design Career

If you're ready to get your video game design career started, you'll need a good education. Find video game design schools near you, or explore more of our Video Game Design Career Resources.

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