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The video game design industry has evolved from a niche hobby to a multimillion-dollar enterprise. In fact, video game design revenue rivals that of Hollywood motion pictures! There are several ways to begin a career in video game design, but in order to make the most of it you need a functional understanding of what the industry entails.

Step 1

Study video game design by playing them.

The most obvious step in learning video game design is also the most practical. You can learn volumes about video game creation just by playing them. But don’t just play the good games, (the God of Wars, Super Mario Galaxys, etc.), play the crappy ones too (the Sonic the Hedgehog 2006s). Suffering through poor video game design will teach you strong lessons about what not to do when building games.

Step 2

Enroll in video game design classes / colleges.

Regardless of what career path you choose, it never hurts to learn the fundamentals. Enrolling in video game design schools and classes with provide that foundation. Some colleges that offer video game design courses are DeVry, ITT Technical Institute, and Collins College to name a few. And against other majors, obtaining a video game design degree can take as little as 1-2 years of schooling.

Step 3

Participate in video game design community / industry events.

It’s one thing to enjoy video games in private, but if you are truly intent on enlisting in the industry, you need to actively participate in it. There are various online communities around video game design out there. And if you can manage to get invited to the big events like E3 or the Tokyo Game Show, you’ll be that much closer to the inner circle.

Step 4

Create video game design projects on your own.

Just like learning how to drive a car, you can’t really understand video game design unless you try it on your own. You can use full-blown programs like Game Maker or DarkBasic Pro to try making the entire video game “gumbo”. You can also use in-game creation tools like TimeSplitters’ Mapmaker or Soul Calibur IV’s Character Creator or LittleBIGPlanet’s Create Mode to try your creative hand. The feedback generated from users will provide you will invaluable, realistic experience as to where you stand.

Step 5

Intern with video game design companies.

Interning with video game design companies is yet another way to learn behind-the-scenes secrets that go into making video games. You may be asked to do mindless tasks as an intern, so it’s up to you to network with employees and siphon as much information as you can during your time there. And if you’re fortunate, you might be able to parlay an internship into a job opportunity.