Sam Hudgins, graduate of Westwood College and owner of design shop Zubian Studios out of Lakewood, CO talks to workingworld.com about what it’s like to be a game developer and the growing availability of video game design programs in colleges.
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WorkingWorld.com: Train for a New Career: Video Game Developer
The video game industry has for the past few years been witness to the rise of game players as developers of game content. This is generating more and new models of game design, development and engineering. Game players are introducing user modifications, which in some cases end up gaining more popularity than the original game. The game Counter-Strike is a good example of this. The game began as a user modification of the video game Half-Life and eventually turned into a very successful published game. It is estimated that as many as 600,000 established online-game community developers will exist by 2012.
Comparison of a terrorist firing a Desert Eagle pistol in Counter-Strike in the original engine and in source.
This increase in gamer involvement is mainly based on the popularity of various consoles and games. As a console game gains popularity within the gaming population, users are tempted to take it to the next level, or to modify it according to their taste and vision. Ranking amongst the most popular game consoles are the Playstation 3, Wii and Xbox 360. Most popular game genres include first person shooter, RPGs, sports and racing games.
First person shooter games are by far the most popular games across all consoles. This is mainly due to the fact that users can play online with other users. The variety of weapons, situations and missions also add to the appeal of first person shooter games. However, the flexibility to choose to pursue a solo career only adds to the genre’s appeal.
Racing games have been around for a long time, and the multitude available on today’s market easily make them the second most popular genre of games. Today’s racing enthusiasts can choose between racing cars, motorcycles, 4-wheelers and even planes. From realistic game art to cartoonish landscapes, racing games offer players a multitude of options for their racing pleasure.
Game developers are constantly scanning the market for ideas and desires brought forth by avid gamers. This brings out new and improved game art and game software every day. Big game design companies such as EA Games, Harmonix and Ubisoft are constantly looking for fresh ideas and content to take their game design and game art to the next level.
Individuals interested in developing game software or working on game design increase their chances of finding a rewarding job with a game development company providing they bring new ideas and a lot of creativity to the table. Enrolling in a gaming program will help you learn develop new and exciting game software or how to create appealing and impressive game art.