Game Design Training for the PC Platform

Increasing demand in the fast-paced market of video gaming has made designing a viable career option for those with both the talent and dedication to persevere through school. Gaming has evolved into a serious industry. According to the Entertainment Software Association's annual report, the video and computer game industry generated $9.5 billion in the U.S. in 2007. A designer who has earned an Associate or Bachelor's degree can expect to earn between $40,000 and $80,000 depending on level of expertise and job requirements. PC platform developers face a lot of challenges. They are charged with the responsibility of making the game accessible to as many people as possible and that means
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Increasing demand in the fast-paced market of video gaming has made designing a viable career option for those with both the talent and dedication to persevere through school. Gaming has evolved into a serious industry. According to the Entertainment Software Association's annual report, the video and computer game industry generated $9.5 billion in the U.S. in 2007. A designer who has earned an Associate or Bachelor's degree can expect to earn between $40,000 and $80,000 depending on level of expertise and job requirements.

PC platform developers face a lot of challenges. They are charged with the responsibility of making the game accessible to as many people as possible and that means accounting for potential hardware and software incompatibility across any number of platforms. Since there are an infinite number of possible configurations, glitches are inevitable. Ongoing support and patches are part and parcel of the package and the design team must always address the problems of the old while simultaneously developing the new.

In addition to incompatibility issues, a developer must address multi-level device support for various controllers, joysticks, steering wheels, handicap devices, and even floor pads. There are a lot of ways to play and the designer must be prepared for all of them.

Today's games come complete with a worldview, a cast of realistic characters, a musical score, a credible storyline and script, so a designer must have a vivid imagination and creative writing skills in addition to an eclectic education. Logical progression is crucial to character survival, the gamer must build his skills as he moves forward, and continuity must remain intact throughout. It is no easy task to provide a compelling game experience to a jaded gamer. Your work must be fresh and unique, but understandable.

In order to help flesh out the complexities, a good designer must understand human behavior and interaction, scripting, logic and even sound. Many designers take courses in subjects like sociology, history, psychology, behavioral science, art, physics and engineering, all for the sake of better understanding the game. For top designers, this education pays off in a big way with fame and fortune in the gaming world.

This may sound daunting, but one thing to remember is that programmers no longer stand alone. Games are developed by creative teams made up of specialists. There are people specifically trained for different areas of production, sound, graphics, logic, levels, scripting, 3-D rendering, animation, interface design, and more. The more flexible you are within the team, the more valuable you are, and the more money you can demand.

Here are some of the courses you might want to consider to get started on a career as a game designer:

• Game Software Development
• Computer Animation
• Special Effects Animation
• Game Design
• Programming & Game Development
• C++ Programming for Game Developers
• Video Game Console Design
• Robotics
• Graphics Programming with DirectX 9
• Lightmapping & Radiosity
• 3D Engine Architecture
• Game Mathematics
• Artificial Intelligence for Game Developers
• Physics for Game Developers
• Digital Entertainment and Game Design
• Creative Writing and Storyboarding for Games
• Game Interface Design
• Graphics Programming with OpenGL
• Terrain Rendering
• Special Effects Programming

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