Considering a Game Design Degree? What to Know
Categories: US Education News
About 3 billion people globally play digital games, according to industry research, and the field is only growing.That's why pursuing a game design degree, which combines art and technical work, can potentially open doors for a long and satisfying career.Jim Huntley, a professor and head of marketing for the University of Southern California's games program, which offers both bachelor's and master's level coursework, says he loves watching people enjoying games that he helped to invent. "You can see their faces light up," he says.Digital games can be designed for and played on many types of electronic devices, including personal computers, mobile devices and hand-held portable game machines. This category of games also includes video games that require a television set, gaming console and remote controller. However, some game developers warn that the process of producing a game can be frustrating at times and that a gaming career isn't right for everyone."Definitely make sure that it's something you want to do for eight hours a day," says Miriam Harries, an advanced game designer at Schell Games, a game development company based in Pittsburgh. The Value of a Game Design Degree A formal education in game design is not required to enter the gaming industry, experts say, noting that the best reason to pursue a game-related degree is to learn from skilled game developers and hone creative or scientific skills that are valuable in the industry."The most important thing that you are going to walk out the door with is not your credential, but your portfolio," says Hammer, who conducts research on transformational games that are designed to influence a person's thoughts, feelings or behaviors. "Our programs are a way for you to build a convincing and high-quality portfolio with a ton of support from experts in every area related to games." Job Prospects for Game Developers Aspiring game designers rarely appreciate the size of the gaming industry and the number of employment options within it, Huntley says. In fact, the international gaming industry is bigger and produces more revenue than the global film industry.A study released by the Newzoo market research and analytics firm in May 2022 predicted that worldwide revenue produced by gaming companies would exceed $200 billion in 2022. By contrast, the global film industry's revenue hit $100 billion for the first time in 2019, the Motion Picture Association reported. The median annual salary among U.S. video game designers was $79,890 in 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which predicts that employment within the field in 2030 will be 10% to 15% higher than it was in 2020.Though a career in digital game creation is a dream come true for many, potential game developers shouldn't become so starstruck that they forget to inquire about working conditions when choosing employers, experts say."One of the things you want to be careful about is making sure that you have standards for yourself about the way you are willing to be treated in a job," Hammer says.According to Harries, the best aspect of the game development field is being surrounded by fascinating coworkers. "I get to work with really awesome, creative people, and that's super fun," she says.