So You Want to Be a Game Designer…

A PowerPoint by Jane Daniel

What does a game designer do?

Crafts video games (characters, levels, etc.)

Creates graphics and animation Project management Project research Game testing Write code

What does it take to be a game designer?

Attention to detail Persistence Imaginative thinking Developed social and communication

skills Mind of a Gamer Presentation Skills

Education and Training High school diploma

Bachelor’s Degree (game design, animation, computer engineering, etc.)

Job experience requiring tech. skills (rec.)

Recommended High School Classes

Creative Writing Speech Psychology Visual Design/ 3D Design Foundations of Animation Computer Programming 1

Recommended high school classes (cont.)

Game Design and Development Mathematics Intro to Computers (Trident Technical) Integrated Business Applications 1 Mythology

Positions as a Game Designer

Audio Specialist Design Specialist Production Manager Programmer Business Specialist Art Director

Top Colleges (Nationally) University of Southern California University of Utah DigiPen Institute of Technology Art Institute of Vancouver Michigan State University

Top Colleges (In State) Art Institute of Charleston

South University – Columbia

ITT Technical Institute

Average Salary National : $60,830 annually

South Carolina : $49,000 annually

Note: Game Designer salary depends on many factors

Job Opening For Game Designers

Who: CompuCom Where: Estill, South Carolina Job Description: Software

Development Engineer (designing app games)

Requirements: proficiency in writing applications w/ Java and Android…

Job Opening For Game Designers (cont)

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, 5+ years of relevant experience, experience with code coverage and performance testing, and computer science fundamentals

Best States For Game Designers

California (Average Salary is $83,730) New York (Average Salary is $70,670) Washington (Average Salary is $67,140) Massachusetts (Average Salary is $64,960) District of Columbia (Average Salary is

$64,710)

Examples of Video Game Companies

2K Games (Bioshock) Valve (Portal, Team Fortress Two) Bethesda Games (Fallout, Elder Scrolls) Mojang (Minecraft) Bungie (Halo) EA (The Sim’s, Battlefield)

If You’re Interested in Game Design…

Extra Credits at www.pennyarcade.com

Thanks for Listening!

Bibliography http://www.schools.com/visuals/how-to-become-a-

game-designer.html

http://education-portal.com/articles/Game_Designer_Job_Info_and_Requirements_for_Becoming_a_Game_Designer.html