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Game design careers allow you to work, play hard

by H. Alex White
alex.white@hqpublications.com
Technology Schools Columnist

Can you imagine having a high paying game design career with flexible hours where you can wear jeans to work and play games all day? What about working in a field where you love going to work every day? A video game job might be what you’re looking for.

There are plenty of jobs for video game testers, as well as designers. There is a growing need for competent game designers, and those seeking employment in the field will have to keep abreast with changes in the technology of game design.


That's unsurprising, since industry statistics from the U.S.-based Entertainment Software Association show the average gamer is 29 years old, and 39 per cent of gamers are women.

While the games industry was once a cottage or "garage" industry, it is now a 28 billion (USD) a year industry, with production budgets in the millions of dollars. It comes as no surprise that game design firms are always on the lookout for their best investments: a creative pool of game designers.

I bet you're thinking, how can I get a job as a game designer? There is not a single answer to this question, but there is one thing that will get you half way there. The minimum requirements to get a job in the industry have been raised. The basic requirement is a computer science degree from an accredited university or college.


Getting a degree in computer game design, game programming, or animation at a video game school might be a thing to consider for the ones of you who are serious about your game design career.

There are many game design schools that offer training. One of them is bound to have a game design program that fits your needs. A portfolio of work and experience in the field is also critical.