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What is required for a successful game development career?
I do game development in my free time but I'm considering creating an actual game to make money off of, what do I need to do or know to start an actual career?
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Michelle’s Answer
Hello, William !
It's really great that you create games in your spare time and are interested in making it a career! The best way to learn how to have a career in Game Design would be to obtain a Bachelors Degree at college.
Some of the colleges that you can consider are the University of Southern California that offers a Bachelors Degree in Interactive Entertainment. The University of California, Santa Cruz offers both a BS in Computer Science with a focus in Computer Game Design and a BFA in Digital Arts and Game Design. University of California, Irvine offers a BS in Computer Science with an emphasis in Game Culture and Technology. The Academy of Art University in San Francisco, which provides a BFA in Game Art and Design. California State University, Chico, offering a BFA in Interaction and Game Design. Those are just some of the colleges that offer the Bachelors program that fits the career you want.
As a student in college, you will hone your skills, create an online collection of games you create through assigned projects, meet professionals in the field and make contacts for opportunities during and after college. So it pays to take an academic path for this and with your Bachelors Degree, you can compete for work in the forefront. You will learn how to start your career through this path.
You didn't mention how old you are, what grade you are in, but if you want to just jump in and start getting paid to create games, it may be a little difficult without credentials. You will also have to find a way to network with professionals in this field and would be competing with applicants that do have the Bachelors Degree and a strong collection of games to show prospective employers. I would advise reading Game Developer job notices on Indeed and Linked In to get an idea of what employers are seeking in applicants.
In your city, you will have to make contacts and can get information about the career and how to do it without a degree or credentials. You can visit Supergiant Games, Niantic, Zynga, Jam City, Pocket Gems, HitBerry Games, N3TWORK, AppLovin, Unity Technologies, Clockwork Labs, and Opium Play. If by chance you decide that it would be best to go to college for your degree and professional training first, you can inquire at these companies about doing volunteer work or an Internship to get official experience at a company.
So first read the job notices for this career on employment websites to see what is required and then decide if you should go to college and give it more time to sharpen and add to your skills, to learn the ins and outs of the business and learn how and when to start your career.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
It's really great that you create games in your spare time and are interested in making it a career! The best way to learn how to have a career in Game Design would be to obtain a Bachelors Degree at college.
Some of the colleges that you can consider are the University of Southern California that offers a Bachelors Degree in Interactive Entertainment. The University of California, Santa Cruz offers both a BS in Computer Science with a focus in Computer Game Design and a BFA in Digital Arts and Game Design. University of California, Irvine offers a BS in Computer Science with an emphasis in Game Culture and Technology. The Academy of Art University in San Francisco, which provides a BFA in Game Art and Design. California State University, Chico, offering a BFA in Interaction and Game Design. Those are just some of the colleges that offer the Bachelors program that fits the career you want.
As a student in college, you will hone your skills, create an online collection of games you create through assigned projects, meet professionals in the field and make contacts for opportunities during and after college. So it pays to take an academic path for this and with your Bachelors Degree, you can compete for work in the forefront. You will learn how to start your career through this path.
You didn't mention how old you are, what grade you are in, but if you want to just jump in and start getting paid to create games, it may be a little difficult without credentials. You will also have to find a way to network with professionals in this field and would be competing with applicants that do have the Bachelors Degree and a strong collection of games to show prospective employers. I would advise reading Game Developer job notices on Indeed and Linked In to get an idea of what employers are seeking in applicants.
In your city, you will have to make contacts and can get information about the career and how to do it without a degree or credentials. You can visit Supergiant Games, Niantic, Zynga, Jam City, Pocket Gems, HitBerry Games, N3TWORK, AppLovin, Unity Technologies, Clockwork Labs, and Opium Play. If by chance you decide that it would be best to go to college for your degree and professional training first, you can inquire at these companies about doing volunteer work or an Internship to get official experience at a company.
So first read the job notices for this career on employment websites to see what is required and then decide if you should go to college and give it more time to sharpen and add to your skills, to learn the ins and outs of the business and learn how and when to start your career.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
Updated
Don’s Answer
Hello William,
It is very good that you are thinking about a game development career. I would suggest starting small when it comes to understanding the field, learn you craft and get experience whether it be internships or jobs before you start to develop your own game. In terms of skills there are many different things you can do to be successful in this career which include learning code, having good creative skills, understanding how to solve problems, staying persistent with your goals, balance your time, gain experience and work with others. These skills/values will help you grow as a person and as a game developer which are both very important. Hope this advice helps and best of luck to you when it comes to your game development journey!
It is very good that you are thinking about a game development career. I would suggest starting small when it comes to understanding the field, learn you craft and get experience whether it be internships or jobs before you start to develop your own game. In terms of skills there are many different things you can do to be successful in this career which include learning code, having good creative skills, understanding how to solve problems, staying persistent with your goals, balance your time, gain experience and work with others. These skills/values will help you grow as a person and as a game developer which are both very important. Hope this advice helps and best of luck to you when it comes to your game development journey!