Info on Working as a Video Game Designer in Idaho

Animation and Video Game Design are among the hottest career choices in today's digital economy.  The skills required for these professions appeal as much to competitive techno-gamers as to fine artists who can finally make a living at their craft.  Many Idaho businesses hire Animators and Video Game Designers.  Depending on where in the state you live, Idaho can also be a feasible commute to Spokane and Salt Lake City. 

Idaho Schools and Training Programs for Video Game Design

A video game designer might major in Communications with special focus on Digital Media.  Others might study Programming with emphasis on Animation.  Some will major in Math with a minor in Game Theory.  Idaho colleges now offering degree programs in Animation and Video Game Design include ITT Tech in Boise, University of Phoenix in Meridian and North Idaho College in Coeur d'Alene.  Professional training and degree programs are also available online.  

Working as a Video Game Designer in Idaho

Many professional Animators and Video Game Designers secure high annual incomes doing what they like.  Of course, the pay scale for these jobs varies depending on factors like experience, effort, talent, ability, performance, productivity, networking and geographic location, to name just a few.  According to a 2010 statistic, the average income for an Animator or Video Game Designer in the United States ranged from about $35,000 to more than $200,000 per year.  But the study, aside from being a bit vague, did not account for the salaries of self-employed individuals all across America. 

Idaho businesses hiring animators and video game designers may include software publishers, mobile phone service providers, colleges, universities, graphic design firms and animation studios.  Video Game Designers also work for local ad agencies like Denison Brothers in Boise or Creative Services in Idaho Falls.  Some designers team up with local motion picture producers like Rocky Mountain Audio Visual and Treasure Valley Broadcasting. 

Professionals in the field are expected to increase a company's revenue by developing a winning product.  Businesses invest time and money in scouting raw design talent from an increasingly large pool of applicants.  Most employers require a degree and related experience, even for entry level positions in the field.  However, certain employers will sometimes hire gifted, dedicated, highly motivated beginners.

Self-starters with an entrepreneurial spirit needn't necessarily work for a firm, thanks to an infinite outcropping of private businesses and websites that feature (or would like to feature) their own interactive animation.  Video Game Designers cop freelance gigs, set their own schedules and telecommute from home.  Some of them work as independent contractors for corporations and private businesses.  Some design and sell games independently.  Some build their own game-related websites. 

Recommended Skills for Video Game Designers

A Video Game Designer develops an idea for a video game by creating a set of rules, devising a scoring system and enhancing the gaming experience with special features like puzzles, quizzes, tricks, traps, obstacle courses and other uniquely challenging tasks.  Most video games are programmed with a set time limit and increasingly difficult challenges. 

The designer also creates the artwork (and/or consults with professional Animators) to capture the motion and visual style best suited to the game's main features.  When prototypes are manufactured, designers host play-testing events where feedback is requested.  This, they hope, will give some idea of the game's potential for commercial success. 

Animators and Video Game Designers study Math, Computer Science, Fine Arts, Digital Graphics, Game Theory, Story Lines and Character Development, as well as Communications, Business, Marketing, Promotion and other relevant subjects.  The key idea is to develop realistic, action-packed innovative products.  The Video Game Designer's dream is mass market appeal.