So you’re a gamer. You’ve been playing video games since the Sega Genesis came out in ’89, and you’ve played Call of Duty on the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Wii. Now you’re looking to see how you can graduate with a Communication degree and still fuel your passion for gaming.
You’ve come to the right place.
With a 6% rise in computer and video game sales in 2007 alone (a number which, according to GrabStats.com has practically tripled since 1996), the gaming industry is primed to hire a number of skilled people, for a variety of different jobs.
Even though programmers is critical to video game development, there are a variety of other skills that the video game industry couldn’t survive without:
- Written communication
- Visual communication
- An understanding of people and motivations
Let’s take a look:
Writing the story for a video game is one of the most important pieces of the design process. For a game to be as successful as Halo, it needs a good story with expertly-written cut-scenes. That need for writing skills is where you come in, worthy Communication major!
In an article written for the Seattle PI, John Pryor, a human resource manager at GTECH, says it best:
If you can write, you can do a lot of different things. When you think about how people communicate today, so much is done over e-mail and short sound bites, but there still is a real opportunity for people who can write well.
And even the Writer’s Guild of America agrees. In 2007, the Guild announced its first award for writing in a video game.
But it’s not just writers who get all the glory. Each of you visual communicators out there has an opportunity, too. Just check out all of the options you have as an artist to contribute to the development and design of the next Left 4 Dead.
All of this might sound pretty good, but remember: no worthwhile career comes without the promise of hard work. As stated on Animation Arena, every video game designer must have patience, and a passion for their work. We, the Comm Survivors, would agree that you should never pursue a career that you’re not passionate about. But if you dream of one day seeing your name in the credits of the next gaming craze, there are a few steps you can take:
- Start small | Learn to get to know the gaming industry. Play all of the video games you can—old and new alike. Volunteer to beta-test pre-production video games. This way, you’ll have practice, and you’ll find that you’re able to get your name out in the industry.
- Find your niche | Are you a writer? 2D or 3D designer? A marketer? When you find where your strengths and passions lie, you’ll be able to prove to any company that you’re a great fit for them. Knowing what you’re good at, and confidence in what you know, are both pre-requisites for success in any job.
- Do your research | Know where the gaming companies you want to work for are, and what they need. Note that although most design studios are located in large, urban areas like New York or California, there are smaller companies located elsewhere.
- Write, write, write | Create. Practice your niche. Build up a portfolio that you can bring to interviews for internships or full-time jobs so that you can show companies your dedication to the career.
- Trust yourself | You’re not necessarily going to get the first job you apply for. You might not even get the first five jobs you apply for. If gaming is your passion, apply yourself and know that if you really want this, you’re going to get it.
Go forth, and game boldly.
Main Author: Linsey Morse
Contributing Authors/Editors: Alison Lewis, Daniel Janis, Kevin Mandeville
