Developers in game design work alone or as a team to develop and design video games. The video game sector is a £41 billion industry in the United Kingdom. This number is expected to grow as more and more people play video games on their smartphones, according to Reuters.
What Does a Game Designer Do?
Game designers work with developers to coordinate the complex task of building games from the framework out. Designers have duties that include:
- Designing characters – backstories, storylines, and story arcs
- Creating and defining levels
- Creating puzzles and mini games
- Contributing to the art and animation
While most developers create the code, a designer may also write code. Various programming languages are utilised for gaming. Depending on the studio a designer might have the duties of project management and testing.
What is the Economic Outlook for a Game Design Career?
According to new research conducted by IBISWorld, the software development industry is rapidly expanding. The latest statistics from Reed show that software developers make an average wage of £54,079 in the UK.
Who Employs Game Designers?
Most game designers work for game studios. There is a robust freelance market, however, for experienced game designers.
Skills Needed to Become a Game Designer
It is helpful that you have a natural ability, talent, or interest in acquiring artistic skills. However, people lacking these abilities can often compensate by having other technical computer skills. In fact, tech abilities may be preferred by some studios. Some specific skills game designers should have, include:
- Computer programming or knowledge of certain programming languages
- Coding
- CAD or 3D modelling
- Knowledge of AV equipment
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Written and verbal communication
How to Get Started in Game Design
Because of the growing need, there are more colleges and universities offering degree programs in video game design. Besides, there are technical degree and certification programs offered at various schools. Some communities and online services even offer free beginner coding courses to get you started. These courses are usually offered in connection with a computer science or media department of a local community college.
Game design is an exciting career with enormous earning potential. There are many facets of the job that include managerial and administrative duties, so it is important to have excellent communication skills in addition to computer and artistic abilities. It is true that most video game designers have a bachelor’s degree in some type of computers science. This doesn’t mean that it is required, as many studios consider experience in lieu of education.
If all this has sparked your interest, stay tuned as over the next few weeks we’ll be publishing the next in our series on breaking into Game Designing as a career. Part 2 of our series will explain the educational and training requirements needed to get into the industry.
