Page 7 - Jobs If You Like Video Games

GAME DESIGNER

What Does a Game Designer Do?
Kelly Toyama has been making games since he was fi ve years
old, when he created card and board games on paper. Now a vid-
eo game designer who has worked on games such as Assassin’s
Creed: Bloodlines and Age of Empires: Mythologies, he has turned
his childhood interest into a successful career. It’s not only his ideas
that make the games he works on a success, however. He sees
both a love of games and an understanding of collaboration as cen-
tral to a career as a game designer. “Passion and teamwork are the
things that get the job done,” he says.
“The best games are made when the
A Few Facts
whole team believes in it and under-
Typical Earnings stands the idea. You are the visionary,
$130,000 annually* but that means gathering together the
vision of the team.” 5
Educational Game designers oversee the devel-
Requirements opment of a video game or improve an
Bachelor’s degree existing game. Designers (sometimes

Personal Qualities called game directors, design directors,
Creativity, collaboration, lead designers, or world designers)
communication, orga- come up with the unique features that
nization, perseverance, set a game apart from other games.
technical skills, passion They understand a game’s central vi-
for creating games. sion and make sure everyone on the
team is working toward bringing that
Work Settings vision to life. A game designer creates
Of ce or home a game’s theme and features, includ-
ing characters, situations, and the tools
* Average annual pay from
ZipRecruiter, 2021 characters use. The designer makes
sure that a game fl ows as expected,

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