You might think that working in the video game industry is all fun and, well...games. Jobs like combat designer and animator sound pretty exciting. But do you know what it really takes to do one of these jobs? Do you have the skills? The knowledge? Are you ready to work hard? Game designers create the images, sounds, and action that gamers enjoy. Find out if you can handle a job in this fast-paced industry.

Discusses the development of video games as well as the skills and education required for a career as a game designer.

Become a Player in the Business of Video Game Art Every year video games generate billions of dollars and some of the most dynamic and engaging artwork today. It’s an ever-growing field that holds great professional opportunity, but you need the right skills and savvy if you want to stake your claim. In How to Become a Video Game Artist, veteran video game designer Sam R. Kennedy provides the inside track on everything you need to forge a career in the world of video game art. Starting with the basics of game creation and a look at the artistic skills necessary to get started, Kennedy spotlights specific, key roles for creators—from concept artists to character animators to marketing artists and beyond. Each chapter features screenshots from popular video games like Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon and World of Warcraft; interviews with video game art professionals who’ve worked for top gaming companies like BioWare, Blizzard, and Ubisoft; step-by-step examples of actual game art; and detailed breakdowns of the training and portfolio samples you’ll need to make these jobs your own. For anyone who wants to go from gamer to game designer, this book contains all the secrets you’ll need to rise to the top of one of the most exciting industries of our time.

Readers will learn what it takes to succeed as a video game designer. The book also explains the necessary educational steps, useful character traits, potential hazards, and daily job tasks related to this career. Sidebars include thought-provoking trivia. Questions in the backmatter ask for text-dependent analysis. Photos, a glossary, and additional resources are included.

Women have faced an uphill climb in the male-dominated world of video game development, but that is beginning to change. Young women now make up nearly half of all gamers, and some companies are looking to expand the influence of women in the gaming industry and engage with them as creators, rather than only as consumers. This resource introduces middle and high school girls to the world of video game development, covering the kinds of courses, extracurricular activities, and organizations that can help them get into a career in video game development.

Explore the training needed to become a computer game developer.

Gamers, beware—your video games can think for themselves! Ever wondered what's inside the plastic of your video game console but don't want to crack it open to find out? Crack open this book instead! You'll learn what computer code looks like, how a game console's "brain" makes decisions, and how its memory allows you to return to play each day without starting from scratch.