2009 Hot Career and Jobs: Video Game Designer
As the nation continues to keep a strong eye on the Wall Street Market and its affect on the American Job Market, we will spotlight the top 2009 Hot Careers and Jobs that will continue to grow as we enter into the new year and beyond. Today we focus on a career and industry that despite economic hard times keeps increasing its overall profits and revenue year over year; the video game industry and a coveted position as a video game designer.
Job Description:
There are two main elements to the development of video games. One key division involves the development of the actual game from concept art, game design, and artificial intellegence programming. The other division involves marketing and publishing the title to the main stream audience. The role of Video game Designer is a key position in the overall development and success of a video game title. The game designer must work with all aspects of the development team to help realize the overall concept of the game. Game Designers work at effectively balancing all elements of the design from artwork to online programming. It is regarded as a leadership role which depends on strategic thinking and strong creative skills to create a successful product.
Job Salary:
A career in Video Game Design can be very rewarding from both a creative and monetary aspect. According to Indeed.com’s salary report, the average salary for a Video Game Designer in California is $84,000. This is almost double most salary averages in the gaming industry. Some of the top game designers continue to earn salaries in the six figure range and receive significant bonuses for the overall retail success of the game.
Education Requirements
Ok, so you beat Halo on Legendary, and you think, “I can make a game like this!” The road to becoming a leading video game designer is not for the weak minded. Almost 99% of any video game design jobs available require the individual to earn their Bachelors Degree. Over the past few years several higher education institutions have begun offering degree completion programs in targeted studies such as Game Development and Game Art and Design. In addition to earning a degree, several developers will seek individuals who have worked within the game industry for a period of time before elevating them to a Game Designer status. So how can one afford to work and earn a degree? Just as Xbox Live let gamers go online and play against anyone in the world, an online education now allows several working adults to continue their pursuit of a degree and keep working full time. Schools such as Westwood College Online and the The Art Institute of Pittsburgh are well known for their demanding online programs dedicated to learning the necessary skills to become a game designer.
With expected sales of over 10 billion dollars in the US alone for 2008, the video game industry continues to grow with rapid rate and despite economic hard times. As the success of video games continues, more projects and developers will look to expand their teams. The future is bright for those individuals who decide that video game design is their career of choice.