Want to be a game designer?

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Friday 2 October 2009

If you are a mad gamer and love your tech this could be a perfect career choice, but are you prepared for hard work?

What is a game designer?

Game designers are the people responsible for making computer and console games. They create a game from scratch, designing how a player actually plays it.

There are different jobs within game designing. These include:-

Art based – such as animators, graphic designers, artists, technical artists and editors
Sound – such as music producers, sound effects designers and audio engineers
Technical – such as programmers, coders and software designers

How are the games made?

Most game designers don’t work alone but are part of a development team covering the art, sound and software.

Game designers on the art and graphic design side of things will invent the idea for a game. They build on this idea by coming up with the world, the setting for the game, the story, the characters, and all other game elements. They then design all these elements and the details that go with them.

Sound and software designers will then produce the art assets and create the computer code which allows the game to be played.

I want to be a designer!

The UK Games industry is a really big part of the global games scene and it's growing fast. This means there’s lots of work but there is also a lot of competition. You need to start gaining skills early and be committed!

Debug

To be a game designer you will need to be a mad gamer and also feel comfortable around computers and technology. Gaming companies are also looking for someone with good problem solving skills. There are so many bugs and potential problems when designing a game.

Know your games

Game companies want people who know what makes a game good, and what makes a game bad.

You should not only play games but also know all about the ones you don’t play, the new ones being released and the old ones that no one plays anymore!

Organised

A game designer has to be a logical thinker, work very fast and be very accurate. You must also be confident around people.

Specific skills

Art and graphic designer - This job typically requires skills in computer art and animation software.
Sound design - Producing music and sound effects will mean you need to be good with music software and have lots of ideas.
Software design - To be a software designer you need excellent IT skills and also be very creative.

What qualifications do I need?

Although qualifications are important and help you build your sills, employers in the games industry want relevant experience, portfolios and knowledge of specific software.

GCSE and A level subjects like computer science, graphic design, art and media related subjects are good starting points. Most programmers will need Maths and Physics at GCSE level, with Maths and sometimes also Physics at A-level.

Six degrees

There are currently six degrees available specifically for games designers.

Games tester

Another way into the industry is Quality Assurance, or game testing. Game testers test out the game before it is released. However games testing can be repetitive and companies are demanding more and more skills from their testers.

Start here

If this all sounds a bit daunting why not apply for funds to make your own game? Mediabox is offering 13-19 year olds the chance to develop their own game. Selected entrants will be invited to an all expenses paid video games workshop to meet with video games experts who will talk to you about developing your ideas into a game. You can pick up new skills like 3D animation, modelling and game design. Find out more.

If you can’t wait to get started you could also try ringing up a games company and offering to do work experience.

Keep a rolling portfolio of everything you do at school, college and in your own time as employers want to see evidence of your ideas.

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