Being a Video Game Designer Takes More Than You Think

Up until recently, I used to love to play games in every bit of my free time I had available. While I have a specific type of game that I enjoy more than others, I could totally lose myself by just diving into that virtual world to have fun. This was such an immersive experience and was great to bring my imagination to life. It seemed like such a wonderful thing.

Guess what? You can also bring your imagination to life when it comes to do doing your career and growing your future. I’m talking about something that you get paid to do and it sounds like a great idea, right? I most certainly agree, but you should know a couple of things before you jump right into this career path to make sure you have a successful future in mind.

Here are the top 3 things to keep in mind if you are looking to become a video game designer.

1. It’s Not Just Playing Games

Sure, playing the actual games you’ll be working on and creating is part of the process. However, that’s not all there is to it. Make sure that you’re not getting into this position and career path just because you want to get paid to play games.

There may be opportunities to test games, specifically, that involve more actual play time than other positions that are available. However, this is not the norm for the industry. Yes, I know you’ve seen the commercials and the movie Grandma’s Boy, but the reality of the situation is a bit less glamorous.

2. There Are No Guaranteed Successes

The gaming industry’s a tough one when it comes to marketing the actual products. You have hits and you have misses. Lukewarm does not sell. Anything less than an absolute hit is just tiding the company over to the next big hit. They hits need to come soon and they need to come often for ultimate success.

If the game you’re working on, and the company that’s supporting it, does not sell very well, then the times are going to be rough. It doesn’t matter how much fun and effort you put into it all, it will be tough to get paid if there’s no money to go around. Know that no game is a guaranteed success.

3. Your Portfolio Matters

If you haven’t done this already, and you’re interested in any type of programming position, must make it a priority to keep your portfolio up to date and growing. Work on impressive things in your free time. Work on important things on the internet. Work on things on the popular mobile phones that are currently available. Just keep getting useful stuff done.

Make your portfolio fresh, impressive, and diverse. Think from the perspective of a software company and what they would want to see. Sure, they want to see that you’re playing games and are providing useful feedback, but they also want to see that you’re doing something practical with what you’ve experienced.

This Job’s Not Just a Game

Looking into a video game designer career is an awesome thought and is a great job path to pursue. Just make sure, along the way, that you know it’s not just about playing games, there are no guaranteed successes, and your portfolio really does matter. If you’re still interested, head over to Monster.com, fill out your resume, and start looking for a job today.