How to Become a Video Game Designer in Honolulu, Hawaii

Animators and video game designers all over Honolulu, Hawaii are landing high-paying jobs in these increasingly popular, high-tech professions.  With a resident population well over 300,000, Honolulu is an idyllic location for people pursuing careers in this field.  Companies throughout the state of Hawaii hire animators and video game designers.  The vast majority of these jobs are in Honolulu.

Honolulu Schools and Training Programs for Video Game Design

Students who wish to work as animators and video game designers might study communications with special focus on digital media.  Or they can learn programming with emphasis on animation.  Some major in math with a minor in game theory.  There are many ways to learn the skills required for a career in the video game design industry.

Aspiring animators and video game designers in Honolulu, Hawaii typically attend Hawaii Pacific University or University of Phoenix.  Many more training and degree programs are available online.  The largest schools featuring online degrees in video game design are University of Phoenix, ITT Tech, The Art Institutes and DeVry.

Working as a Video Game Designer in Honolulu, Hawaii

Video game design requires more than skill at video games.  Employers invest time, effort and money into selecting design professionals from an ever-increasing pool of qualified applicants.  A degree and related experience is often required, even for basic entry level positions.  There are, of course, exceptions.  Some employers take calculated risks on independent, self-taught designers and gifted, highly motivated beginners. 

It's a safe bet that the average income of a video game designer varies depending on the experience, effort, talent, ability, performance, productivity, networking and geographic location of the designer, among other factors.  One statistical study claims that the average annual income for a video game designer living in the United States ranges from about $35,000 to well over $200,000 per year.  But this data (aside from being rather vague) fails to factor in the unreported salaries of many million self-employed Americans.  In any case, serious professional animators and video game designers in Honolulu, Hawaii can often earn large paychecks doing work they like. 

Companies in Honolulu, Hawaii employing video game designers include software publishers, mobile phone service providers, colleges, graphic design firms and animation studios.  Some Honolulu designers work for top local ad agencies like Amvest, Laird Christianson, Team Vision and Starr Tech Interactive.  Other local designers work for Honolulu motion picture producers like Audio Media, Pacific Focus, Pro Travel and Grass Skirt Productions. 

Self-starters do not necessarily have to work for a firm, thanks to the enormous wealth of moneyed start-ups with websites featuring (or wanting to feature) their own interactive animation.  Many video game designers are freelance professionals, setting their own pace and telecommuting from the nearest Starbucks.  Some freelance designers contract with worldwide corporations.  Some invent and sell their own games.  Some build game-related websites. 

Recommended Skills for Video Game Designers

The primary role of a video game designer is to first come up with a game idea, then create rules, a scoring system and additional features like sounds, special effects and unique challenges.  These might include puzzles, mazes, traps, maps, detours, obstacle courses and other surprising twists.  Most video games are programmed with a set time limit and ever-increasing difficulty levels. 

The designer then creates the artwork (or hires an animator to create it), and attempts to capture a color scheme and visual style appropriate for the game.  When the design is completed, a Mechanical Engineer manufactures a prototype.  The designer uses the prototype for play-testing groups that might help determine a game's potential for commercial success. 

Experts in the field might study math, engineering computer science, fine arts, digital graphics, communications, business, commercial trends, game theory, character development and many more relevant topics.  The goal is to create realistic, fun-filled, action-packed best-sellers.  Above all, animators and video game designers seek mass market appeal.