The Red Herrings

Firstly, don’t believe everything you hear about how to get a job in game design. One of the first things we confirmed in this series of blogs is that there are a lot of myths about game design floating around the internet, and even when something comes from a source slightly more reputable than just a random message board don’t take that to mean they really know what they’re talking about. Many websites which claim to tell you how to get a job in this field seem to have a considerable lack of information about the realities of being a game designer. Oh, and there does seem to be a myth floating around that stepping into games development from games journalism (a la Greg Kasavin) is a viable route. You’d be very lucky to get a job as a games journalist to begin with, stepping from that job into a position as a game designer is almost entirely unheard of.

Beware the Colleges

My second warning is be very wary of courses claiming to give you useful qualifications in video game design. There is one school of thought that you can never really teach video game design as a course within itself and while I haven’t made my mind up whether I agree with this entirely it does make quite a bit of sense. With the disparate areas of study game design incorporates, not to mention its reliance on personal inspiration and experiences, the idea of teaching it in a classroom does seem to feel somewhat loose.

This also comes back again, to the lack of information about video game design which exists out there. A problem I’ve found living in the UK is that it’s hard to find any game development courses run by people with genuine insight into the industry, links to the industry, and actual experience of working in the industry. Perhaps the situation is a little different in the US or other countries but it’s hard to imagine it being vastly dissimilar. Despite this there are a number of courses out there claiming to give game design qualifications that will be of the upmost use to you in the industry.

Perhaps there really are courses available that are all they claim to be but there are horror stories out there of people who had their bank accounts drained for courses which taught them nothing, and it seems all too easy for the universities and colleges out there to slap “game design” on a course and watch the money come flooding in. I advise you to be highly suspicious of all the apparently life-changing game design courses you come across.

Working Your Way Up

Of course one route to becoming a professional designer would be to be promoted from another job in the games industry. There are of course no guarantees of this happening but becoming an established member of the industry would of course be a great way to vastly improve your prospects for becoming a game designer. I wouldn’t however recommend trying to take on another job in the industry entirely for the purposes of making the leap to game designer. If you’re trying to be a games programmer with no enthusiasm for programming then don’t expect to get too far, and taking on any job in the games industry is a very difficult task, with each job requiring unique skills and a unique approach. I may do a blog at one point about becoming a games programmer but it will be an infinitely shorter than this and I do emphasise the “may” on this one. Still, if you have a passion for programming or modelling and animation then get cracking on using the talents to break into the games industry, the jobs of programmer or modeller and animator are fantastic in themselves and might just give you a clear path to becoming a designer.

If you are looking to get into the industry an internship with a company can be a good place to start, although it takes some considerable working towards and getting the right qualifications can also be important. If you do manage to get a foothold in the industry, however you've done it, from there you should get to know other people in the industry, up your social links so to speak. The larger the circle of other industry people you can make friends with then the more potential links to game design jobs you’ll have.

Samples of Your Work

Your portfolio is arguably the most factor in getting you a job as a game designer. If you can show potential employers some quality samples of your work then it will help convince them you’re worth employing. The internet can provide an ideal showcase for your portfolio; having a space online where you can neatly and clearly present your work could be invaluable to you. Getting together with other amateur developers and making small games together which you can get released online can effectively showcase your skills to the world. Creating successful mods and unofficial content for games can also be a very good way to increase your recognition, although I have noticed a rather worrying pattern where whenever someone on an online forum asks about getting into the industry they’re flooded with replies talking about creating mods. This kind of content creation could be a significant step for you in the games industry but don’t believe the myth that projects such as creating levels for Unreal Tournament is some full-proof gateway into the industry, there are other steps you need to take as well.

Seeking Jobs

Of course you should always be on the lookout for opportunities to apply for a job as a designer. There are many places online that you can seek out jobs in the industry but in my opinion the best place to go is the jobs section of Gamasutra.

The Indie Route

There is the option of saying screw the mainstream industry and opting to become a purely indie developer but that’s still more difficult than a lot of people are aware of. Sadly developing a game independently is rarely as simple as just setting up a few computers in your house and working with a few friends. You’ll have to find very talented people who are willing to put forward their skills and a large amount of time on an extremely unstable pay model. You'll also need to find a way to fund the development process, not necessarily an easy task.

Some indie developers also often make the mistake of undervaluing the importance of a publisher. If you’re going solo that means the development team you’re a part of will also have to handle jobs such as publishing, marketing, PR, and legal matters. You have to look at whether you’re really equipped to take on these kinds of jobs. Try and also keep in mind my diatribe on the danger of working with friends. There have been people that have managed to make indie development work and work well but keep in mind these are amazing groups. It’s nowhere near as easy as it looks.

One point I would make is that you should start putting your plan of action for becoming a game designer into effect as soon as possible. The sooner you start the more of a lead you’ll have on everyone else your age who wants to be a game designer too.