Info on Working as a Video Game Designer in Long Beach, California

Individuals seeking employment in Sacramento, California can pursue successful careers in animation and video game design.  With a population of more than 400,000, this Capital city has much to offer in this competitive field.  California features more video game design jobs than any other U.S. state.  Many of these jobs are found in Sacramento, with many more in San Francisco, an easy commute by train. 

Long Beach Schools and Training Programs for Video Game Design

Up and coming video game designers might study communications with focus on digital media.  Others learn programming languages with emphasis on animation.  Some earn math majors with a minor in game theory.  Some are simply self-taught video game designers. 

Top schools in Long Beach that offer degree programs in Animation and Interactive Game Design include Long Beach City College.  Long Beach video game designers can also easily commute to USC, UCLA, California Institute of the Arts, California Polytechnic State University and Art Center College of Design.  More training and degree options are available online.  The most prolific online colleges with degree programs for video game designers are University of Phoenix, ITT Tech and DeVry.

Working as A Video Game Designer in Long Beach

Animators and video game designers tend to earn high salaries, but their income depends on factors like experience, effort, talent, ability, performance, productivity, networking and geographic location, among other things.  The average annual salary for an animator or video game designer in the state California is about $77,000.  One statistic states that animators and video game designers in the United States earn approximately from $35,000 to more than $200,000 per year.  However, the study neglected to include information regarding the incomes of self-employed designers. 

Long Beach companies hiring animators and video game designers may include software publishers, mobile phone service providers, colleges, graphic design firms and animation studios.  Some designers work for local ad agencies like Eta Advertising, Davis & Associates or Media Partners Worldwide.  Other designers team up with local movie companies like Creative Ventures, Jack Dabner Productions and Long Beach Locations.

Animators and video game designers are hired to increase revenues by helping to develop successful interactive products.  Businesses invest dearly in scouting designers from a huge pool of qualified applicants.  Employers typically require a degree and related experience, but they do occasionally hire self-taught professionals and gifted, highly motivated beginners.

Self-starters do not have to work for a firm, thanks to an endless array of start-up companies and websites seeking digital interactive games.  Many video game designers are freelance professionals, setting their own schedules from home.  Some designers contract with corporations.  Some design and sell games independently.  Some build game-related websites. 

Recommended Skills for Video Game Designers

A video game designer conceives a game idea, invents the rules, devises a scoring system and adds enhancements like sounds, visual effects and unique challenges.  These can include puzzles, mazes, traps, maps, detours, obstacle courses and many more surprises.  The designer also programs the time limit and ever-increasing difficulty levels, as well as the speed and motion of the game's images. 

Video game designers do their own artwork (or get professional animators to do it), then select the color schemes and visual styles most appropriate for the game.  Mechanical Engineers build prototypes of each completed design.  The prototypes are used in presentations to potential investors.  Designers also play-test prototypes in an effort to determine a game's potential for commercial success. 

Experts in the field of animation and video game design study subjects such as math, computer science, fine arts, digital media, communications, game theory, character development, commercial trends and many other topics.  The goal is to create a top-quality, fun-filled, action-packed best-seller.  The video game designer's farthest reaching aim is mass market appeal.