Top Career Options in the Gaming Industry

1/8 | Top Career Options in the Gaming Industry

The world of gaming has evolved from a mere pastime to a thriving industry with over 2.6 billion passionate participants. For those captivated by the immersive worlds and captivating gameplay, a career in gaming offers a chance to turn their passion into a profession. From designing captivating narratives to crafting intricate game mechanics, the gaming industry presents a plethora of exciting career paths for aspiring game enthusiasts.

2/8 | Game Designer

Designers fuel the imagination needed to envision the fantastical worlds and plots in video games. Small- to medium-sized teams will work together to create the plot, characters, and gameplay. They work closely with developers to ensure they follow the fine line between pushing the boundaries of novel ideas and design while still being able to produce a deliverable, which may be a storyboard, mockup, or prototype. They often use game engines such as Unity, art software such as Adobe Illustrator, and scripting languages such as Python & C#. However, game designers focus more on concept development; game developers focus more on coding.

3/8 | Video Game Artist

Designers might construct the gameplay, but video game artists bring it to life. They work to create the various styles that will then be woven throughout the entire game and marketing strategy. Should the characters have a creepy undead vibe or be colourful and happy? Ubiquitous styling makes games memorable and helps bring gamers into the game's world. Some artists prefer to use more traditional artistic methods such as sketching or freehand drawing, while others might use more modern tools such as ED modelling and motion-capture technology.

4/8 | Game Tester

No matter how many times you go over something, there is always likely to be something you miss. Game testers are the fresh set of eyes that give the final check before the game goes to market. They pay particular attention to any inconsistencies, glitches, or bugs and are responsible for writing up a final report clearing the game. It might seem like they play video games all day for a living, but they play a vital role in ensuring a game comes out right the first time.

5/8 | Video Game Writer

Writers create dialogue or written descriptions and storytelling in video games. Sometimes this role can be rather small for genres such as puzzle games, which may only give a few sentences to introduce a player to the basic gameplay. Or, the role can be extensive in genres such as role-playing games, where dialogue is key and often quite complex. Often the level of dialogue is dependent on the genre of the game.

6/8 | Programmer

No one gets to see a video game quite like a programmer. Instead of fanciful characters and adventures, programmers see thousands of lines of back-end code. They often work in C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python. Various types of programmers work on a game, often working in various languages and having different specialisations and goals. In the end, their job is to make all of these ideas come together and create the backbone for the game.

7/8 | Game Developer

Game developers can have a variety of specialities, including design, art, and programming. In addition to various specialisations, different game developers might specialise in different types of gameplay devices, such as consoles or mobile.

Smaller studios might have game developers handle a diverse set of roles, while larger companies might specialise more. Throughout the production process of a game, developers will continuously improve versions of a game until it is finally ready for production.

8/8 | Animator

An animator is a type of artist who manipulates models to give movement to the characters and scenes. There are a variety of different tools used in animation. Some animators know how to draw, and some do not. Also, some know how to code, and others do not. It is all a matter of what tools the studio uses and what animators are most comfortable with. Knowing at least a bit of drawing or coding will help make your life as an animator easier, though. Some of the most common languages are HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. Other common tools include 3ds Max and After Effects.