Believe it or not, there are careers in gaming. When someone today talks about “gaming”, they aren’t necessarily talking about professional chess players, or ping pong champions. 9 times out of 10 they are talking about video and PC games.

With the video game industry reaching out to all demographics including senior citizens (Wii has become very popular with the senior crowd, my grandmother even “goes bowling” using my brother’s system), almost everyone is into video games for one reason or another. Whether it is for fitness, adventure, or just plain old fun, there are a number of ways to have a career in gaming. Is it possible? Let’s take a look.

Westwood College – Game Degrees

Westwood College is one of the best online animation colleges available to students who want to earn their animation degree. This is an undergraduate program (bachelor’s degree), where students will be prepared for a career as a web animator, desktop publisher, 3D animator, or flash designer.

• Associate Degree – Graphic Design and Multimedia
• Bachelor Degree – Animation
• Bachelor Degree – Game Art
• Bachelor Degree – Game Software Development
• Bachelor Degree – Interior Design
• Bachelor Degree – Visual Communications

This degree program can also prepare you for a career in animation in as little as 3 years compared to a traditional 4-year bachelor’s degree program. Course topics include 2D animation, advanced 3D animation, advanced character animation, character development and setup, digital animation, digital image editing, and advanced digital effects. Westwood college also boasts a degree program that contains more core courses than general education or other required courses, so most of your time is spent focusing on your major.

International Academy of Design & Technology – Game Degrees

The International Academy of Design & Technology also is one of the online animation colleges that is engaging and quite thorough.

• Associate of Science in Building Information Modeling
• Associate of Science in Graphic Design
• Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising and Design
• Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Media Production
• Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Production
• Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design
• Bachelor of Science in Web Design and Development

They offer a digital media production & animation major as a bachelor’s degree program. As a student of this program, you will learn about project management, introduction to drawing, video production, motion graphics, screenwriting and more! It truly gets you in “behind the scenes” into the animation process.

Gaming  Careers

There are numerous ways you can seek a career in gaming. One of the most lucrative but competitive ways to find a career in gaming is by becoming a professional gamer. Of course this does require thousands of hours of practice and could result in competing in several national and international events. It’s not a guaranteed way of making money, or even sustaining a true “career” in gaming, but it is one way of having a job within the gaming industry.

However, there are other ways to have a career in gaming. You may want to consider looking at the creation of the game itself. You can become a game designer and create the ideas used to start the game process moving, or a game animator, to take those ideas and make them move and come to life. Game programmers are the ones who enter the technical aspects to actually enter the data into a code that makes the game an actual game.

You could also decide to be part of marketing the game and monitor beta testing and oversee the entire project from start to finish by becoming a game developer. These are just a few of the people required to help create the videos games we play today. If you have ever taken the time to look at the booklet inserts in some of today’s more popular games, you will realize that it takes almost an entire army to put together just one video game. You too can be part of that army.

Game Degrees

For any of the career paths listed above, a great deal of training and education is required. There are specific degrees for video game design, video game programming, computer animation, and video game development. These degrees usually can be found in both undergraduate and graduate levels, and can be taken online as well as on-campus.

For those who are already computer savvy, you may want to look into online degrees to get your education and allow you to have more flexibility as to when and where you will learn. These degrees will give you the basic tools you need to do your job and provide you with more insight into the design, development, and programming of a video game.

A career in gaming – is it possible? As I said before, yes. It all depends on what type of career you seek, but you can find a fulfilled and rewarding career making, designing, or playing video games.

Where can I get into Game Design Careers?

There are plenty of schools, both online and on campus, that are dedicated to video game design. This degree will include learning programming, concept creation, idea adaption, modern gaming trends, animation, logical problem solving, and more. All of this will prepare you to enter the world of video game design, which is a highly competitive – but profitable – field.

How Much can I Earn with Game Design Careers?

According to a national survey, there is a median wage of $73,000 for video game designers. But if you are lucky enough to get on board with a project that really takes off, you could be looking at wages in the hundreds of thousands. Games like the Grand Theft Auto series, or World of Warcraft, have been bought an enjoyed by millions of people. It is success like this that is possible with game design careers.

What to Expect

Programs preparing you for video game careers are becoming more and more numerous. You can learn the basics of game design through a certificate degree program. However, more in-depth programs are available that will lead to an associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree in game design. Some colleges and universities now even have a masters program majoring in game design available on line.

While programs will vary depending on the university, usual instruction includes coursework in programming, logic and problem solving, prototyping, writing, and art. Beyond just learning about game graphics, you can learn about all the phases of game creation, from writing the design to marketing the final product. All courses are typically on line and require no campus visits.

Career and Salary Potential

Video game careers are thriving! The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that software publishing will be the third-fastest growing industry over the next decade. Earning a degree or certificate may open a variety of doors in the various video game careers. Some specific career paths include game programmer, artist, or analyst. Other positions include software tester or quality assurance specialist.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not track video game designer salaries, but as with all industries, the higher your education and experience level, the higher the pay.  A survey conducted showed designers who have an associates or bachelors degree can expect to earn between $40,000 and $82,000 depending on their expertise.

If you enjoy video games and aspire to delve into one of the fast growing video game careers, earning your degree online can start you on the right path. With the number of programs available, you can complete your degree with minimal disruption to your current work and family commitments.

So what are careers in game design? How will you ensure that you get to have one of the top careers in game design? The primary thing that you can do is to study a game design degree online. There are many schools that offer game design programs through online or distance education. With their help, you can easily become one of the most qualified applicant to hold one of the top careers in game design today.

When you study game design, you can choose a level of education that fits you best. Some schools offer associate  and bachelor degrees in game design while others also have graduate programs. Enrolled in one of these programs, you will learn all about programming, animation for games, game play and level design, and other courses. As for career in game design, you can have your pick when you graduate.

Becoming a level programmer is one path that you can take for your career. With this position, you code the action of the game characters and other aspects of the game. Of course, you can also become a game designer. If you choose to be one, you will help create a game by writing storyboards and having input as to the looks and feel of the characters, the game environment, and others. Being a sound designer is also one of the top careers in game design that you can focus on. You will provide the sound effects and soundtrack of games. A degree in game design can help you become a game tester. With this job, you will play games for a living.