Awesome! You will have a fun and challenging career!
However, what does being a game developer mean? You need to think about what you want to do in game development.
I get asked this question a LOT, especially by college students.
Game development teams are made up of people with a wide variety of skillsets. To name a few:
- Art: Concept art, UI art, level art, graphic design
- Design: Game design, level design, UI/UX design, mission design
- Programming: Gameplay, AI, engine, rendering, UI, tools, physics, math, audio
- Audio engineering
- Production
- QA (Quality Assurance)
- UX research
There are several other disciplines who support game teams:
- Marketing
- Communication
- Public relations
- Recruiting
- Legal
- Internationalization: Translation, localization
The above are some of the many disciplines that make up AAA game teams. Most indie game teams also have people who work on multiple areas at a time.
There are a number of educational institutions that offer degrees in game development. They provide an introduction to some of the areas I outlined above, in particular, art, design and programming. Students develop games in small multidisciplinary teams.
What if you can’t attend one of these institutions or have a non-game development degree? MANY game developers (a majority, actually) hold traditional degrees. You need to develop a level of expertise in your field of study and be able to transfer your skills over to game development.
Here are some steps and tips on getting your foot in the door:
- Get a degree. Once you narrow down your field of interest, pursue it. A video game can take several years to make. A completed degree will show that you have the ability to finish what you started and that you have some knowledge of the field you chose.
- Build a portfolio. For artists, this could mean a portfolio showing off concept art. Or, it could mean a digital art portfolio. Showcase your best work! For programmers, this could mean a game you have either made or contributed to. Be prepared to talk about the work, your contribution (if you worked on the project with others), reasons for the choices you made, etc. If you use an engine like Unity, for example, do more than simply use the provided functionality, try to write a new system. This will show off your programming and problem-solving chops. If you do want to be a game programmer, some proficiency in C++ is nearly always required.
- Land an entry-level position in a game team. Indie or AAA, full-time or internship, it really doesn’t matter at this point. Network, talk to people within the industry if you have that option. Many major studios and publishers offer co-ops or internships. All the work you do in an internship or with a smaller studio can be leveraged to ultimately get you interviews at bigger studios.
Your education doesn’t stop here though. Continue to read blogs, books and articles; attend workshops and conferences (if possible and feasible). Read and learn about other disciplines; you don’t need to go into great depth. You will, at some point, work with people in those disciplines, so basic knowledge of what their fields entail will do you well.
Good luck!