Career Profile: Game Design in Vancouver

Vancouver is well-known as a center of game design and animation. The game design industry, like technology as a whole, is constantly evolving. As mobile platforms become more popular for game playing, the industry in Vancouver is adapting by encouraging local game developers and studios.

Careers in Game Design

Game design can include everything from computer programming to graphic art to user interface, marketing, and packaging design. Game design professionals may handle it all, or specialize in different pieces of the final product.

Using sophisticated graphics and specialized design tools, you'll learn how to design, script, and develop various categories of electronic games. If you're interested in designing your own game from start to finish, you'll need to develop skills in statistics and probability since game design programming has a mathematical nature. Good writing and communication skills are also critical.

The main career paths within the game industry are Programmer, Artist, and Producer.

Because so many who enter the field wish to design their own games, professionals often operate their own software businesses. Along with software for their own games, these businesses may also create training materials and related software for businesses, government agencies, and schools. Employment opportunities also exist in the larger software production industry, but the market is extremely competitive.

Education

A bachelor's degree is required for most game design and game art positions, though occasionally an associate's degree will be sufficient. Master's degrees in game design or animation are most helpful for advanced positions like Art Director.

Animation and web design skills are of course key, but classic visual arts skills like drawing and sketching are necessary as well.

Schools that offer degrees in animation, game design or visual communications include:

Vancouver Film School
Related degrees: Game Design, 3D Animation and Visual Effects, Digital Character Animation
"The Game Design program at VFS takes you from concept to alpha to beta to final in just one year. You work closely with video game industry mentors in an immersive environment that mirrors that of a professional studio as you design, produce, and present fully playable games. Storytelling, level design, game art, motion capture, scripting, cinematics, and the business of games are all just a part of what you will learn."

The Art Institute of Vancouver
Related degrees: Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Visual & Game Programming, Media Arts & Animation, Graphic Design, Visual Effects & Motion Graphics, or Web Design & Interactive Media; or Associate of Science degree in Multimedia & Web Design.

Vancouver Intitute of Media Arts
Related degrees: Diploma programs in: 2D/3D character animation

Vancouver College of Art and Design
Related degrees: Diplomas in 3D Modeling Animation Art & Design and Web Design & Programming.

.