Unusual Video Game Jobs

Video game experts work in a variety of industries. Next time you play a video game, take time to read through all the credits at the end. Writers, artists, sound technicians and testers all work together to create every single game. Many of those same professionals could also create a storyboard for a movie, test software, design an interactive online environment, or edit a video game magazine. Learn more about video game jobs and how those skills can sometimes translate to other industries.

Concept Artist
At the beginning of the design process, concept artists collaborate with the game’s designer to help decide what the game will look like. Their pictures of characters and locations will guide the artists and designers through the rest of the design process. Concept artists are also used by creative teams in dozens of industries and provide guidance on projects ranging from movies to architecture.

Writer
Yes, video games have stories. While some video games still have plots like “kill all enemies and save the princess,” many others tell complex narratives that require the skills of an actual writer. Writing for video games is much different from writing for movies or books because the writing has to fit game play. If a game has a great story but is not fun to play, it will fail. A good writer can also land a job with a video game magazine. It takes someone with a deep understanding of game design to write compelling critiques of video games.

Level Designer
Video game teams usually include several members working just on level design. Level designers decide not only how a character can interact with a level and but also how the environment will change during game play. Like movie set designers, level designers must know what items should be in certain locations and how those items fit into the whole game experience.

Texture Artist
Without textures in video games, players would just be controlling simple blocks and shapes. A texture artist has to scan or create thousands of textures for each game. His job is tricky, because he must make objects look realistic while working under hardware limitations. A good texture artist can put a player in the middle of the action by creating realistic surroundings. Graphic design agencies are always looking for skilled texture artists to work on complicated pieces for both the digital and print world.

Sound Technician
Somebody had to write that infectious Super Mario song. A sound technician can work on anything from a game’s soundtrack to its sound effects. And with today’s games becoming more complex, the job of a sound technician has grown from working by himself on a synthesizer to working with a whole team of sound effect engineers and sometimes a full orchestra. A sound technician can just as easily work on the set of a big budget movie as he can on a video game, which explains why so many sound professionals have worked in both industries.

Game Tester
Get paid to play video games all day? Could there be a better job? Well, actually, being a game tester is not all fun and games. Game testing can actually become very tedious, as testers have to play levels over and over again in every possible way to find bugs and glitches. But if you want to master a video game months before anybody else sees it, a job as a game tester could be for you. If you’re a good game tester, you could also try out the latest software. Large software publishers use testers in exactly the same way as game publishers do, because software testing requires the same patience and basic skills that game testing requires.

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Collins College cannot guarantee employment or salary. The jobs mentioned in this article do not represent actual outcomes of the programs at Collins College and are presented for informational purposes only.