Video game design typically falls under the heading of software publishing and is often seen as a specialty belonging to computer applications software engineers. These designers are called upon to harness their skill set, involving both technical and creative capacities in order to develop interactive video gaming programs that potential consumers would deem attractive and worth the purchase. The process of creating a video game involves heavy doses of dynamic collaboration and a complex and sophisticated series of steps along the way. Brainstorming ideas, presenting basic conceptual models of those ideas, producing games, and testing them on sample customers are among the facets of the video game production experience. Designers are undeniably crucial to every tier of the process, however they are also cognizant that they are simply one component of the complex production cycle. Those who set their mind to specializing in video game design exhibit a great deal of experience in computer programming, involving languages like C++, Python, and Java.

An ideal education in video game design will involve a myriad range of subjects and disciplines. The obvious and most essential inclusions are computer science and software development. Yet other important and influential topics that students should expose themselves to are literature, art history, graphic design, and communications. The job outlook for video game design is stunning and phenomenal. Despite this unprecedented boom in employment, competition for the cushiest jobs in the sector will continue to be hot. In terms of salary, video game designers are often handsomely rewarded for their work. A strong reputation in the field could see a designer push into a six-figure salary.

Career Specializations

• Artist: Video game designers can frequently branch out into their own projects, involving 3D, stop motion, motion capture, or cinema in their construction.
• Programmer: These designers are the ones responsible for writing the actual software of the game, melding into it the instructions for sound and video, into a computer language such as Python or C++.
• Sound design: These professionals listen to the aesthetic for a game provided by the head designers, and interpret it aurally into the creation for a complete soundtrack.
• Tester: Errors, inconsistencies, and glitches in a video game are thankfully caught by these designers before the product is officially approved and heads to market. 

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Degree Levels

• Associate Degree: 2 years to complete
• Bachelor's Degree: 4 years to complete
• Master's Degree: 2-3 years to complete
• Doctor of Philosophy: 3-5 years to complete

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Education & Certification Requirements

No matter which type of educational path chosen, video game design hopefuls should expect to encounter course work in such fields as physics, interactive design, 3D modeling, computer programming, narrative or storytelling technique and theory, and graphic design. The associate level is slowly becoming insufficient preparation for this career; those who choose to head into the job field with just this diploma will likely be turned down by employers in favor of those with more advanced academic degrees. However, an associate degree in a field such as computer science or graphic design makes for excellent preparation for a bachelor's diploma. At this level, there is a heightened emphasis on multimedia technique, art history and technique, and software graphics. Another important aspect of the bachelor's experience is participating in internships; though sometimes time consuming and arduous, these experiences can really accentuate a resume and help make finding employment much easier after graduation. Master's degrees are the ideal diplomas to earn when looking to enter the industry at a rather high level, as soon as the degree program is completed. Those who are interested in teaching eventually in their careers should aim at a doctoral level degree, which will require scholarly research and the creation of a dissertation. 

No certification or licensing is, as of yet, required of those entering the video game production sector. However, because computer programming is so essential to their work, video game designers should definitely consider securing certification from an organization like the IEEE Computer Society, which also offers seminars and e-learning options to shore up designers' knowledge in a field that is incredibly notable for changing and progressing dramatically and often. (BLS)

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Salary Information

Salaries for video game design professionals are quite competitive. On an hourly basis, well-qualified employees (those with a bachelor's degree or higher) can earn around $45 per hour for their services. Those associate degree holders lucky enough to secure a job in this sometimes highly competitive field are rewarded with less substantial but still respectable pay, approximately $30 an hour. On the whole, excellent video game designers can make more than $75,000 a year in annual salaried pay. In order to earn the "excellent" distinction, designers must develop high-quality reputations, consistently produce accurate work, and have earned as much education and job experience as possible. (BLS)

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Job Outlook

The employment growth rate for the video game design, and therefore software publishing, sector is incredible. Estimates have prognosticated that the field will experience a rise in the number of available positions of 30 percent by the year 2018. Though video game designers are comfortably located in the center of this impressive growth potential, the best design firms feature jobs that attract the cream of the crop. In order to best capitalize on the excellent future of the industry, video game designers should strongly consider adding additional specialties to their repertoire, such as communications and journalistic experience, general graphic design (or a concentration in that sphere, like print design), or excellence in computer programming, especially with Java and C++. (BLS)

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Related Careers

Computer animation directly employs many of the skills that video game designers make use of daily. Also frequently categorized along with video game design under "software publishing," computer animators can find work in entertainment, cinema, science, and engineering, among other environments. They are often hired in a freelance capacity and are offered continued training and education through the design studios that hire them. 

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