If you're a fan of video games, you may have thought about video game design as a career. What may shock you is that this career needs a set of skills far beyond a love of games and a knack for making use of computers and video gaming systems.
Creating video games is a cost and time-consuming process which draws on several different skills and talents that might shock you. Actually, most developers with successful games under their belts are artistic and have good writing skills and also a solid background in computer programming and design. If you're considering a career in video game design, consider the many aspects of game design and consider which area you'd excel at:
Game Concept Design
This is an early phase of the process and is done mainly by writers and game concept specialists. These are the people who create the parameters for the game such as the overall goal or objective, what kind of skills will be used in the game, etc. If you have ever thought you had an incredible game idea or felt that you could have improved on a game you have played, you may wish to go into game concept design.
Game play and rules also belong to the concept area. No video game can be played without particular guidelines and rules. These can be really complex; designers who are good at understanding and applying a range of regulations as well as developing new ones are in high demand. Creativity is also needed in order that rules can be both interesting and rational within the parameters of the game.
Layout and 3D Modeling
If you enjoy photo manipulation, Computer Aided Drafting and Design and artwork, you may like working on layout and design. A few companies hire people strictly to do backgrounds or characters for games to be able to give a game a specific style or assure realism. This aspect of video game design is what can give a stellar game a unique look and feel that inspires a great fan following.
Object placement is a part of layout that's primarily related to the proper placement of significant objects which might have special powers, provide a key to the next level or a game or reveal a key secret to advancement. Some larger companies have people who concentrate on this sub-category of game layout.
Scripting and Plot Development
The dialogue and actions of characters in complex video games can make or break the success of the game. Scripting is the part of video game design that develops the actual dialogue for characters and keeps the action moving forward. Awkward or unrealistic scripting could be a death sentence, so scripters are central to the design of the game. This is similar to writing the script for a movie or play, so writing skills and an understanding of dialogue and character are essential.
Right plotting moves the story forward and, just like scripting, relies greatly on understanding human nature, motives and character. A plot in a video game might be incidental to the action. Nevertheless, some games are turning into more and more plot driven, but it should make sense and follow a recognizable and exciting thread that will keep gamers interested.
New Degrees Combine Skills
Because video game design has taken off lately and is right now a billion dollar industry, the need for good designers is escalating. In the past, a game design team might have included writers with liberal arts degrees, artists and computer programmers who had to pull it all together. These days there are lots of colleges and universities offering specialized video game design degrees. These degrees are useful because they cover the many skill sets required for success in the business. These skills include scripting, 3D art, story development, content development and animation by combining elements of several different disciplines into one comprehensive degree concentrating on the needs of the video game design industry.
Creating video games is a cost and time-consuming process which draws on several different skills and talents that might shock you. Actually, most developers with successful games under their belts are artistic and have good writing skills and also a solid background in computer programming and design. If you're considering a career in video game design, consider the many aspects of game design and consider which area you'd excel at:
Game Concept Design
This is an early phase of the process and is done mainly by writers and game concept specialists. These are the people who create the parameters for the game such as the overall goal or objective, what kind of skills will be used in the game, etc. If you have ever thought you had an incredible game idea or felt that you could have improved on a game you have played, you may wish to go into game concept design.
Game play and rules also belong to the concept area. No video game can be played without particular guidelines and rules. These can be really complex; designers who are good at understanding and applying a range of regulations as well as developing new ones are in high demand. Creativity is also needed in order that rules can be both interesting and rational within the parameters of the game.
Layout and 3D Modeling
If you enjoy photo manipulation, Computer Aided Drafting and Design and artwork, you may like working on layout and design. A few companies hire people strictly to do backgrounds or characters for games to be able to give a game a specific style or assure realism. This aspect of video game design is what can give a stellar game a unique look and feel that inspires a great fan following.
Object placement is a part of layout that's primarily related to the proper placement of significant objects which might have special powers, provide a key to the next level or a game or reveal a key secret to advancement. Some larger companies have people who concentrate on this sub-category of game layout.
Scripting and Plot Development
The dialogue and actions of characters in complex video games can make or break the success of the game. Scripting is the part of video game design that develops the actual dialogue for characters and keeps the action moving forward. Awkward or unrealistic scripting could be a death sentence, so scripters are central to the design of the game. This is similar to writing the script for a movie or play, so writing skills and an understanding of dialogue and character are essential.
Right plotting moves the story forward and, just like scripting, relies greatly on understanding human nature, motives and character. A plot in a video game might be incidental to the action. Nevertheless, some games are turning into more and more plot driven, but it should make sense and follow a recognizable and exciting thread that will keep gamers interested.
New Degrees Combine Skills
Because video game design has taken off lately and is right now a billion dollar industry, the need for good designers is escalating. In the past, a game design team might have included writers with liberal arts degrees, artists and computer programmers who had to pull it all together. These days there are lots of colleges and universities offering specialized video game design degrees. These degrees are useful because they cover the many skill sets required for success in the business. These skills include scripting, 3D art, story development, content development and animation by combining elements of several different disciplines into one comprehensive degree concentrating on the needs of the video game design industry.
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