Simple Steps to a Winning Career in Video Game Design and Art

Copyright 2006 Todd Harris

Have you ever dreamed about how exciting it would be to make the next great game title, instead of just playing it. Would you like to be a video game designer working on the next big Xbox title or designing for the PS3, etc? Well, you’re not alone and the good news is that you can do it and succeed in this ever growing industry. You can be a game designer or game artist and turn it into a winning lucrative career.

Video games are big business and big money. Let’s talk about this for a minute. Video games are not the Pong that your parents grew up on. Also, they are not just for kids anymore either. Producing games is getting a lot more complicated and cost a lot more to make. Video Game Design and Art teams have benefited from this explosion well because it has created more job opportunities. So, you can get in and make lots of money doing what you love, games!

So how do you do it? Well, a game designer or artist should really like games. I was shocked when my boss came to me one day and said, “You really should play more games.” Boy did my wife like that one! But seriously, you need to understand and enjoy and have a passion for games. Companies love hiring game enthusiasts that are passionate about creating the next great thing. So having passion is enough? I am going to say Yes, but it helps to have talent or desire to get the talent as well. Dedication is also a great quality to have because sometimes the industry requires long hours and little sleep. So, if this sounds like you, you are on the right path.

What about design or art principles? Do I need to have skills in these areas? One of the most important qualities to a video game designer or artist is to stay true to the experience that you are creating for the players. So keeping true to a vision of the experience is something employers will look for. From creating a game from the idea all the way to production and to the shelves, keeping the vision true to the experience is something that all good game designers are able to do.

Once you have met these qualifications, the rest is downhill from here. It will take a lot of work to get the dream job but it will be worth it, if this is where your heart lies.

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Todd Harris is a concept art director for a multi-billion dollar company. He has been in the video game industry for almost 15 years and was trained in the Florence Academy Method of Art. For more information on how to become a game designer or artist and turn your ideas into the next great video game, see www.gamedesigner101.com .