How to Get a Job Creating and/or Playing Video Games

You can actually get a job creating and/or playing video games.


As you begin embarking on your pursuits for higher education, what majors have you considered? Business? Accounting? Computers? Or how about more complex fields such as law or medicine which require additional years of schooling?

Well, if you have a passion for these things then you should go where your heart leads you. But if you're taking these types of majors simply because it seems like the right thing to do, perhaps you should consider a different course of action: majoring in something you TRULY enjoy... something you could do hours on end without feeling like you are working at all. And if you are like many people, this 'something' would be playing video games.

That's right! You can actually get a job creating and/or playing video games. Below is a list of some of the careers available for those with a video game degree.

1) Video Game Tester

This is a position in which you truly would get paid for playing video games. According to Doug Doine, a game tester for Electronic Arts, as a game tester you would "go over different components of a game and look for things that just don't make sense." You would also "break the game," meaning you would "do things a normal user would do and inadvertently see something go wrong."

Doug Doine further adds that video game testing is a good place to start for young people who want to "break into the industry." To get such a position in it is best to have a "passion for gaming" and some educational background. Doug himself has a degree.

2) Programmer

According to Gameinformer Magazine, video game programmers are the "heart and soul" of the industry. They are the ones responsible for creating the code necessary for getting video games to function. And contrary to popular belief, their jobs aren't always easy. Video game programming often involves creating complex functions and algorithms often times more challenging than programs created in Corporate America. Thus a talent for mathematics along with a more analytically-inclined brain are absolute essentials.

Indeed, game programming may not be the appropriate course for everyone seeking a video game career, but if you were deciding to go into the computer field anyway, which job would be more enjoyable... coding the next Halo, or working on a boring, hum-drum piece of no-name software?

3) Animator

Animators are responsible for coordinating the movement of video game characters. Accomplishing requires more than drawing something on a piece of paper, which according to Alex Drouin, an established game animator, occurs after a lot of "brainstorming, chilling, playing, planning and testing" with the programmer. But when the busy work is done, the video game animator will finally get a chance to do what he or she does best... animate. Alex Drouin says the thing he liked best about his job was "being able to come |there| late in the morning, sit behind |his| computer, put on a great CD, and then create crazy animation that will end up in a game that will be seen all around the world by gamers." Now, wouldn't it be nice if you could get a job like that? With a video game degree it is certainly possible!

4) Sound Designer

Sound designers are responsible for creating the music and sound effects of video games. Video game music is created either from digital sources or real-life orchestration. As video game consoles become more advanced, many sound designers favor the latter when deciding on what type of music they want in the games they are working on. Creating appropriate sound effects, on the other hand, sometimes requires more creative experimentation.

To be successful at video game sound designing it is best to: 1) have an interest in both music and sound, 2) possess knowledge of recording technology and 3) be familiar with the types of music and sound used in today's most popular video games. A video game degree will help develop these talents and skills.

5) According to Gameinformer Magazine, a producer "functions as the glue that holds a development team together, seeing to a variety of organizational tasks ranging from budgeting and planning to input on the direction of the game itself."

A good producer must possess superior management and accounting skills. This is because not only does a producer have to work with people on a regular basis trying to get them to meet deadlines, but they are also responsible for the budget of the video game project. Not knowing how to best spend money, (a skill acquired through accounting and economics), could result in financial failure.

Indeed, producers have a lot on their shoulders, but it is still a suitable option for non-technical persons who desire to get into the game industry.

6) Game Designer

Video game designers are responsible for creating the 'experience' of a particular game. Evan Wells, a video game designer, sums it up by saying "the main tasks of the designer is to make sure the game is fun."

Wells further adds that game designers are responsible for macro and micro level design. Macro level design involves "figuring out the core mechanics of the game; the variety of level looks, power-ups, etc." Micro-design involves creating the "actual levels and the moment-to-moment gameplay within those levels... the enemies, the objects, and the particular way you encounter those enemies and objects."

Good game designers should obviously have an interest in video games along with some drawing and programming skills.

7) PR Manager

If you would like to explore the marketing side of the video game industry, then consider becoming a PR manager. PR managers are responsible for promoting video games. And according to Natalie Salmon, a PR manager for Midway, part of this process involves "learning about the game that is going to be announced." So this boils down at some point having to play the video game. Isn't that what you wanted to do anyway?

8) Fields not relating to video games

Each of the career paths discussed above are fields that are not limited to the video game industry. If you decide that you don't want to use your video game degree to find a job related to video games, you can always use it to market yourself for other types of jobs. Of course, you may want to take a class or two to get a certification to help further establish yourself in the latest technology, but this is recommended for anyone pursuing an IT career. Bottom line, a video game degree, (just like any other computer-related degree), WILL lay the foundation you need to teach you the basics for programming, testing, animation, software development and other skills that are pertinent to the business world.

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