The World of Computer Game Design

by: Morgan Hamilton

A career in computer game design the absolute heaven for any hard-core gamer. Isn't it everyone's dream to do what they love and get paid for it? And how many of you out there that can show a computer games have had great ideas of how you can improve on the games that you were playing? I know I have, about a million times.

If a career in computer game design is something that you are mulling over and I have good news and I have bad. The good news is that it is a huge industry and is growing year over year. The bad news is that computer game design takes a lot of programming skills which means you had better be a very smart cookie and be prepared to work very hard in school learning the various skills that you will need.

You want to start with a degree in computer science, which is much easier said than done. Of the six friends I had in college that were computer science majors, only one of them stuck with it to the end. It is a grueling major filled with advanced math classes and seemingly endless computer programming exercises.

Some people actually enjoy programming, so if you're one of them that a career in computer game design would be perfect for you. A real affection for computer games themselves would certainly go a long way as well. My college friend that got his computer science degree is currently working for a well knowing game design company, and loves it. But he will be the first one to tell you that it is nothing like what he expected.

Some computer games that are produced today are so incredibly complex that they take years to create. In the infancy of the game industry, computer game design teams often consisted of just a few people. Today, many games have several production teams consisting of up to hundreds of different people working simultaneously on different aspects of the game. If you do prove to be a capable programmer than a here in computer game design will reward you handsomely. Veteran programmers who have already completed several game designs can pretty much call their own shots as far as salary and overall creativity. It is an art and science.

If programming isn't something that appeals to then you still can work in the design industry. Programmers themselves are the king of the hill and the most sought after, but talented artists and creative writers can be attractive employees to game producers. Graphic designers and artists contribute a great deal to computer game design. Many computer game designs also feature actors to do the voice overs of the game's characters as well. There's a whole lot that goes into making these babies.