3 answers
Sydney
Student
Post Falls, Idaho
5
Questions
Updated
845 views
Is designing video games any fun?
Id love to have a job I truly enjoy, so I'm split between becoming an MD or pursuing a career in video games.
3 answers
Luke Trimberger
Student
68
Answers
Champaign, Illinois
Updated
Luke’s Answer
Designing video games can be a lot of fun. It's a creative and challenging field that allows you to use your imagination to create something that people will enjoy. You get to work with a team of talented people to bring your ideas to life, and you get to see the fruits of your labor when people play your games.
However, it's important to remember that it's also a lot of work. Video game development is a long and complex process, and it can be very demanding. There are long hours, tight deadlines, and a lot of stress. It's also a very competitive field, and it can be difficult to get a job.
If you're passionate about video games and you're willing to put in the hard work, then a career in video game design can be very rewarding. But it's important to make sure that you're realistic about the challenges and the demands of the job.
Here are some pros and cons of a career in video game design:
Pros:
Creative and challenging work.
Opportunity to work with talented people.
See your ideas come to life.
Potential to make a lot of money.
Cons:
Long hours and tight deadlines.
High stress levels.
Competitive field.
Potential for burnout.
Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to pursue a career in video game design is a personal one. There is no right or wrong answer. The best way to decide is to weigh the pros and cons and to make a decision that is right for you.
If you're still not sure what you want to do, I recommend talking to people who work in different fields. This can help you get a better understanding of the different options available to you and can help you make a more informed decision.
However, it's important to remember that it's also a lot of work. Video game development is a long and complex process, and it can be very demanding. There are long hours, tight deadlines, and a lot of stress. It's also a very competitive field, and it can be difficult to get a job.
If you're passionate about video games and you're willing to put in the hard work, then a career in video game design can be very rewarding. But it's important to make sure that you're realistic about the challenges and the demands of the job.
Here are some pros and cons of a career in video game design:
Pros:
Creative and challenging work.
Opportunity to work with talented people.
See your ideas come to life.
Potential to make a lot of money.
Cons:
Long hours and tight deadlines.
High stress levels.
Competitive field.
Potential for burnout.
Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to pursue a career in video game design is a personal one. There is no right or wrong answer. The best way to decide is to weigh the pros and cons and to make a decision that is right for you.
If you're still not sure what you want to do, I recommend talking to people who work in different fields. This can help you get a better understanding of the different options available to you and can help you make a more informed decision.
Mike Burchett
Software Developer
4
Answers
Round Rock, Texas
Updated
Mike’s Answer
I will try to answer this from a slightly different perspective. I also wanted to design and develop video games when I was younger (and I still do). Gaming has always been a passion of mine and I wanted to be a part of the industry. However, when I graduated from college almost 25 years ago, it was much easier finding a job making more money using my computer science degree for something other than developing/designing video games. I always thought I would eventually work in the video game industry, however soon after graduating I started a family and job security became an import aspect for me which made it harder to risk jumping into something new. As I got into my late 30s and early 40s and was a lot more financially secure and able to take more risks, I still thought maybe now would be the time to try the gaming industry. The problem at this point is that it would be slightly harder to get into the industry due to my age (not saying it couldn't be done, and I am sure plenty of people have done it at that point in their career). I did interview at a big gaming company, but I didn't get the job (they did ask about my current salary at the time and I doubt that helped my chances given I had no experience in the gaming industry). I am still very happy with the career path I have taken and I believe I have probably made more money and had a much more stability and secure job over the last 25 years.
With all of that being said, I think it is important to follow your passion, especially when you are young. You should always weigh all your options if you have to choose one path over the other, but don't ever let money direct you to something over what you are passionate about... Unless money is your passion. If you chase your passion and you are good at it, the money will come.
With all of that being said, I think it is important to follow your passion, especially when you are young. You should always weigh all your options if you have to choose one path over the other, but don't ever let money direct you to something over what you are passionate about... Unless money is your passion. If you chase your passion and you are good at it, the money will come.
Ryan McDonald
Creative Producer / Imagineer
4
Answers
Sierra Madre, California
Updated
Ryan’s Answer
Yes, designing games is fun. It's still a job, so it has its ups and downs, but if you like what you do and the people you're doing it with, it's pretty awesome. The good news is that if you decide to become a doctor first, you can still use (at least some of) those skills as a game designer... but I don't think it'll work too well in reverse. ;)
Look at the number of game designers in the credits of a AAA title and you'll see that, just like there are a lot of different specializations in MDs, a career in Game Design has a lot of variation in job titles, responsibilities and experience... and fun.
Depending on the kind of game, platform, company and project, a game designer could be asked to do anything/everything from fun tasks like prototyping and concept to medium-fun tasks like level layout and balancing to tedious tasks like font optimization, localization and documentation... revising, re-revising and re-re-revising lots and lots of documentation. Depending on your technical chops, you can play as another front-end engineer, technical artist, UI designer or a number of other things. Whatever skills you have, a good team will find ways to utilize them.
Fun can (and will) change between:
Production phases - depending on the size of the game and schedule, you most likely will have crunch... which is fun in the beginning because it bonds a team together, but if there's too much or for too long, it can burn people out or just suck the life out of a team.
Projects - Stress, demands and therefore, fun varies by project. Some times you'll be stuck doing the tedious spreadsheets for weeks on end, make a game genre you don't find fun (ex: making a free-to-play mobile game when you're a console-only player) or with/for an IP that you don't like (there are a LOT of kid's games out there, so don't be surprised if you're working on a Paw Patrol title for a few years, before you can get your FPS-on). Other times, it all comes together, the time melts away and you end up staying late because you're having too much fun and don't want to leave.
Studios - Games make a lot of money and not all studios treat their employees the same. Never burn a bridge, but don't feel bad about jumping ship once your work is done if you don't like a studio or team. You will most likely bounce around a bit between studios until you find a crew you vibe with. The team that, years later, you still share memes and GIFs with in WhatsApp threads from long-dead departments you all worked in together.
It's funny that you are deciding between an MD and Game Design, because in meetings at Disney Interactive, whenever the large team game update strategy discussions would get too intense and heated, an Executive Producer used to say, "Well... at least we're curing cancer... wait.. we're not? We're getting this angry about an online game about farting cartoons?! Let's get some perspective, people!"
I have a good friend who is an GP, and she loves it. She works with an amazing crew and has a blast literally saving people's lives on the daily. Is it super stressful? Yes. Is it also super rewarding? Yes. Does she have a crapton of debt that she'll be paying off for the foreseeable future? Yes!
I on the other hand, have been making games for dozen+ years and most of them are no longer available. Have I changed lives? Maybe? I've seen the youtube videos, read the letters and had the proud moment of seeing someone genuinely enjoy something that I helped create. ... but it's also ephemeral. My friend's helping someone get their diabetes under control so they don't lose their foot and meanwhile I'm stressing because our ARPDAU is down $.25 from projections and I don't have budget for another QA pass on the A/B test to determine whether the Buy Now button bounces twice between level 7 or level 12...
Look at the number of game designers in the credits of a AAA title and you'll see that, just like there are a lot of different specializations in MDs, a career in Game Design has a lot of variation in job titles, responsibilities and experience... and fun.
Depending on the kind of game, platform, company and project, a game designer could be asked to do anything/everything from fun tasks like prototyping and concept to medium-fun tasks like level layout and balancing to tedious tasks like font optimization, localization and documentation... revising, re-revising and re-re-revising lots and lots of documentation. Depending on your technical chops, you can play as another front-end engineer, technical artist, UI designer or a number of other things. Whatever skills you have, a good team will find ways to utilize them.
Fun can (and will) change between:
Production phases - depending on the size of the game and schedule, you most likely will have crunch... which is fun in the beginning because it bonds a team together, but if there's too much or for too long, it can burn people out or just suck the life out of a team.
Projects - Stress, demands and therefore, fun varies by project. Some times you'll be stuck doing the tedious spreadsheets for weeks on end, make a game genre you don't find fun (ex: making a free-to-play mobile game when you're a console-only player) or with/for an IP that you don't like (there are a LOT of kid's games out there, so don't be surprised if you're working on a Paw Patrol title for a few years, before you can get your FPS-on). Other times, it all comes together, the time melts away and you end up staying late because you're having too much fun and don't want to leave.
Studios - Games make a lot of money and not all studios treat their employees the same. Never burn a bridge, but don't feel bad about jumping ship once your work is done if you don't like a studio or team. You will most likely bounce around a bit between studios until you find a crew you vibe with. The team that, years later, you still share memes and GIFs with in WhatsApp threads from long-dead departments you all worked in together.
It's funny that you are deciding between an MD and Game Design, because in meetings at Disney Interactive, whenever the large team game update strategy discussions would get too intense and heated, an Executive Producer used to say, "Well... at least we're curing cancer... wait.. we're not? We're getting this angry about an online game about farting cartoons?! Let's get some perspective, people!"
I have a good friend who is an GP, and she loves it. She works with an amazing crew and has a blast literally saving people's lives on the daily. Is it super stressful? Yes. Is it also super rewarding? Yes. Does she have a crapton of debt that she'll be paying off for the foreseeable future? Yes!
I on the other hand, have been making games for dozen+ years and most of them are no longer available. Have I changed lives? Maybe? I've seen the youtube videos, read the letters and had the proud moment of seeing someone genuinely enjoy something that I helped create. ... but it's also ephemeral. My friend's helping someone get their diabetes under control so they don't lose their foot and meanwhile I'm stressing because our ARPDAU is down $.25 from projections and I don't have budget for another QA pass on the A/B test to determine whether the Buy Now button bounces twice between level 7 or level 12...
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