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Last Updated By Anjani Chaand on 01 Dec, 2023
Computer Games have always been fascinating for everyone at some or the stage of their lives and we all have played some or the other computer games. As end users, we are always amazed by the distinct features and varieties in each game and how they become a habit of our day today life. It is surprising to see the kind of offers that different game designers have to offer for the audience.
Students who choose careers as game designers first develop the characters with the help of computer programming. They then develop storyboards with the help of computers that help in outlining the main plot and dialogue of the game. Then they animate scenes and actions of the characters. In many situations, they also need to develop game software which helps in bringing different components together.
Game designing career includes developing different software programs that help in arrangement of different characters in such a way that the game players are able to play without any problems. There are multiple options for the students of game design as they can make their career by learning in a team that works for designing characters. The team may be an expert of their respective fields such as animators, multimedia artists, and application software developers. The students will get to know about jobs in game design and development in this article. They will also develop perspectives about video game designers, game designer requirements, and will be able to understand whether it is easy to become game designers or it is a difficult task.
Listed below are the major highlights of a game designer career.
Parameters | Details |
|---|---|
Courses Available in Game Design | Certificate, Diploma, Undergraduate, Postgraduate |
Mode | Regular/Full-Time/Part-Time/Online |
Duration of the Course | 6 months – 3 years |
Average Course Fee | INR 50,000 – INR 6,00,000 |
Eligibility Criteria | 50% in 10+2 or graduation (whichever is relevant) |
Top Colleges for Game Design | iLEAD Kolkata, Parul University, SRMIST Chennai, Whistling Woods International |
Top Job Profiles for game designer | Game Developer , Game Designer, Video Game Designer, Game writers, etc. |
Average Salary Structure | INR 4.5 – 5 lakhs per annum |
The student who selects the course of game design has to learn from the basics and then they can proceed for advance training. The role of game designers starts from conceptualization of a game and putting that idea into action. The students will work towards developing the story of the main character or the style of the game play that he wants the target audience to understand.
Game designers are involved in every basic and simple step towards the development of the game and creating a game. Game designers are very crucial as they bring their concepts into action. They give life to the characters and build the image of the character by giving them a personality. They also decide the level of the game whether it is going to be easy, moderate or difficult where the audience has the choice to select the difficulty level. They also incorporate the concept of Artificial Intelligence and how the same will function in different types of games. The jobs of Game designer include multitasking such as designing characters, difficulty levels, puzzles, art and animation.
Game designers develop most of these games with the help of coding and they also design codes with the help of various computer programming languages. The role of game designers is not only confined to designing games but they are also responsible for carrying out many project management tasks and at times they also need to be present for all testing levels for different versions of the video games. A game designer also works with other creative talents to give the best outcome such as graphic designers, animators, and in some cases UI designers. The students will get to know about jobs in game design and development in this article. They will also be familiar with the different stages involved in game designing and subsequently different career options as mentioned below.
Test Specification
One can explore careers as game designers in a testing department that provides test specifications to quality assurance staff. They are accountable to review and evaluate competitive products in the market in the same segment. They also look after films, music, television, and other art forms to generate innovative game design ideas.
Ideation and Planning
Planning is crucial for any organization as they have to take into account both internal and external test groups. The planning constitutes several aspects such as objective, motive, goals and tasks involved in accomplishing a project. Game designer's job in the planning stage is important as they help in putting pieces together in finalizing a product.
Product planning
Product Planners are responsible for planning the success of any product that has been manufactured with the support of the entire team. A proper product planning ensures the critical and commercial success of the product. Game designers exploring their career opportunities in product planning has to keep in mind the feasibility of the product, deciding the levels of the game, and several other aspects.
Content Management
Writing for game designer as career options will be responsible for writing the content of the game. The game content will include dialogues of the character, game text, etc. While writing for video game characters, the writers will also have to think from third person’s perspective. They will have to align their thought process with the end users of the game.
Innovation
It is important for the Game designer to present new game design concepts to management and technical colleagues as per the demands in the market. They will also have to explain about the artists,animators, and programmers. A Game designer has to be very creative as they have to survive in the highly competitive environment. They will have to do innovation on a frequent basis.
File Management
Game designers are also responsible for creating and managing documentation, prototyping goals, production schedules, and communication plans in collaboration with production staff.
The students can check the types of game designers in detail mentioned below.
Game writers: The game writer basically writes the dialogue and plot of the game. They are held responsible to create a whole story for a video game, mainly the pre-production work. Also, they are responsible for creating characters and describing narratives of a video game.
System designers: System designers are the one who take care of the balancing features of the game. They work from beginning till end on a game design. They do planning and implementing for the game programmer.
Lead designers: There is a lot of planning required to design one game so to look after the entire team of designers the lead designers are there. They basically supervise and take charge of everything.
Content designers: Content designers basically check the accordance of the gameplay with vision of the game. They are responsible for checking the pictures, text and videos in the game design.
Technical designers: A technical designer plays a vital role in a game designing team. They do technical design work in game designing. They create technical game designs and also incorporate the system design elements.
UI designers: UI designers are the ones who create a user interface for the game. They are held responsible in maximizing the utility of the game. They also enhance the user interface.
Software developer: Software developers are responsible to develop applications on a computer to perform specific tasks. They work closely with computer programmers.
An aspirant does not require a degree or diploma to become a game designer as numerous employers give more preference to experience and game knowledge. For becoming a game designer a candidate must have a certain set of skills which he/she can acquire after completing relevant courses like B.Sc in Graphics, Animation & Gaming, B. Tech in Computer Science and Game Development, BA in Digital Filmmaking & Animation, M.Sc in Multimedia and Animation, M.Sc in Game Design and Development, Advanced Diploma in Game Art & 3D Game Content Creation, Advanced Diploma in Game Design and Development Application, Certificate in Game Art & Design etc. Enlisted below are the minimum eligibility conditions required to become a game designer.
The candidates must be aware that if they want to choose career in game designing they need to follow the steps mentioned below.
Step 1 : Qualify 12th from any stream and from a recognised board
The candidate must complete their 10+2 exams from a recognised board with 50% marks.
Step 2: Entrance Exam
There are many universities and colleges that offer game designing courses after conducting an entrance exam. So, the candidates can check the famous entrance exam list mentioned below
Step 3: Complete Bachelor’s course
For Undergraduate courses there are a lot of options available for candidates like Game art, Game animation, Game programming, etc. However, there is an entrance exam that the candidates needs to qualify for taking admission to these courses.
UG Courses in Game Designing
Listed below are the post graduation courses available in game designing.
Step 4: Pursue Post Bachelor
There are various options a candidate can opt after graduation but Post graduation is the best option one can choose if they want to make a career in game designing so that they gain proper knowledge and experience about the course. Doing Masters will help a lot in future.
Step 5: Choose a Best Job in Game Designing
After completing PG the candidate can choose the best job available in the game designing field. They will be recruited by a reputed firm after completing masters in game designing.
PG courses in Game Designing
Listed below are the post graduation courses available in game designing.
The candidates can check the required skill set for a game designer mentioned below.
The job roles of game designers are immense and diverse. An aspirant can either choose to become a freelancer or can work in a multinational company as well. Mentioned below are the possible job roles a game designer can go for.
Game Animator: They are the multimedia maestro. The responsibility of a game animator is to combine technology with art and imagination to create interactive animated images.
Game Audio Engineer: The role of a game audio engineer is to comprehend the essence of the game and blend dynamic audio to bring life to the world of games. They work on mixing ambient sounds with dynamic sound effects and background music of the game.
Game Designer: Duty of a game designer is to build levels, characters, puzzles, animation and art. You are expected to bring ideas to the table, create interactive narration, build prototypes and develop the mechanism of the game.
Game Programmer: Often considered as computer scientists and a brilliant software engineer, a game programmer uses codes to create the programme that smartphones, computer or video games system can read. They pick out the coding language that best suits the gaming platform.
Creative Game Director: Often the creator of the game concept, a creative game director needs to ensure that the video game project looks perfect in all the aspects. They are in charge of the overall vision of the project.
Game Artist: A game artist is responsible for all the aspects of game development that require visual art. They create 2D or 3D art form for the visual elements of the game.
Game Marketer/PR: A game marketer/PR has a pivotal role in the process. They have the duty of delivering the developer’s message and making sure that it has been taken well by the public.
QA Game Tester: Once the final submission has been done, approval is required by the QA game tester. They have to make sure that all the bugs, mistakes are getting fixed and the game is working properly.
Game System Designer: A game system designer works hand in hand with producers, programmers and other domains within the game design to develop game functions.
Those wondering "What do Game Designers do?" can read below:
Construct level structure
storyboard the action of the game
Write character bios, storyline, plot points, dialogue, game objective
Develop and design the original concept
Direct action sequences
Develop early prototypes
Define user interface, controls and menus
Generate the GDD (Game Design Document)
Lead the development process
Decide on the platforms and devices on which the game is to be played
Conceive every gaming element including settings, rules, objects, weapons, vehicles, flora, fauna, etc,
Produce sound effects, musical score, dialogue, sound edit and sound mix
Games are the best medium of recreation. With time, gaming industries are developing and are gaining popularity. At present, games are being wildly used to across a broad range of industries including fitness, education and healthcare. Captured below are the sectors where you can find employment Opportunities for a game designer.
Multiple companies ardently require skilled and proficient game designers across the nation. Mentioned below are the name of some popular top recruiting agencies for game designers.
The salary of Game Designers varies from profession to profession. It also depends on the individual’s abilities. The more the experience and skills, the better is the salary of game designers. Mentioned below are the pay scale or salary structure as per the profession.
Job Profile | Starting Level Salary | Medium Level Salary | Senior Level Salary |
Game Animator | INR 2,28,000 | INR 3,60,000 | INR 16,00,000 |
Game Audio Engineer | INR 1,18,000 | INR 3,63,927 | INR 18,00,000 |
Game Designer | INR 2,00,000 | INR 5,03,628 | INR 10,00,000 |
Game Programmer | INR 3,50,000 | INR 4,25,000 | INR 24,00,000 |
Creative Game Director | INR 1,20,000 | INR 9,00,000 | INR 30,62,000 |
Game Artist | INR 3,00,000 | INR 5,50,000 | INR 9,00,000 |
Game Marketer/PR | INR 4,00,000 | INR 7,87,500 | INR 11,30,000 |
QA Game Tester | INR 2,55,663 | INR 5,00,000 | INR 10,00,000 |
Game System Designer | INR 3,50,000 | INR 5,00,000 | INR 10,00,000 |
Note: The above figure depends on company to company and individual to individual. They are subject to change.
The scope for game designers is enormous as the industry is booming and it will continue to rise in times to come. In this industry, there is no slowdown irrespective of the economic turmoil all around the globe. Gaming industry made maximum business throughout the pandemic era. With the rise of science and technology and people’s lives shrinking to smartphone screens, the scope for Game Designers are increasing every day.
The industry witnessed growth even during the economic recession of 2008 and it showed rising curves during pandemic as well. The person who is creative and is genuinely interested in developing games can get jobs anywhere in India or the world.
Game designers will have to ensure that they are doing innovation in their respective fields and meeting the expectations of the audiences. People play games to be entertained and to keep them engaged and if they find games worth their time, they will definitely invest their energy. The students exploring jobs in the gaming industry must know how to create a game. There are sufficient opportunities for talented individuals in India especially for mobile games. Countries like the USA, Canada, and the United Kingdom specialize in console games and the demand for such game designers are very high in these countries. So, Game designers have immense scope for their personal and professional growth if they are experts in what they do.
There is no such entrance exam specific to the profile of the Game Designer. Although some colleges conduct entrance examination for admission to the college, candidates can also refer to the following mentioned books in order to deepen their understanding of the field.
Take our test and find out if it suits your strengths.
Top companies constantly looking out for game designers are 2 Pi Interactive, Hyderabad, 99Games, Karnataka, Apar Games, Mumbai, Dhruva Interactive, Bangalore, Games2win, Mumbai, Geek Mentor Studios, Noida etc.
No, game designer and animation designer are two separate job profiles. The former one is responsible for designing the storylines, characters and gameplay, while the latter one focuses on creating visual effects.
The basic difference between a game designer and a game developer is that a game designer curates or designs the layout or storyline of the project while the game developer converts those ideas and designs into a final product. The game designer is responsible to create an initial framework whereas the game developer converts it into an actual game.
An aspirant willing to be a game designer can also explore other careers such as game animator, game audio engineer, game programmer, game artist, creative game designer, QA game tester, game system designer etc.
Coding is not the whole sole requirement for a game designer but an applicant must have an understanding of it. An aspirant is required to possess an understanding of programming languages, 3D modelling programs and software programs in order to be a successful game designer.
The starting salary of a game designer is INR 2,00,00 per annum and it goes up to INR 10,00,000 per annum.
To become a game designer an aspirant must be creative, innovate, tech-savvy, adaptable, analytical and great with communication skills. Also, the person must be a good storyteller and should know how to manage time.
To become a game designer, a degree or a diploma is not a compulsion after class 12th. An aspirant can directly become a game designer if he/she possesses the right skills, experience and knowledge related to the field. However, pursuing undergraduate, diploma or certificate courses provide better career opportunities to the aspirant.
There is no hard and fast rule associated with the educational qualification of a game designer. An aspirant can pursue a bachelor’s degree or a diploma in game design to enhance his/her knowledge or to widen his/her career opportunities.
A game designer is responsible for designing stories through games. They create characters, storylines, scenarios, plots, user interfaces etc and make the concept of layout and gameplay come alive.
