Tips on Becoming a Video Game Designer in Oakland, California

Many thousand high-tech employment seekers in Oakland, California are landing high-paying positions as animators and video game designers.  Ideally situated and with a resident population of about 400,000, the city is a convenient place to seek careers in video game design.  Oakland is a virtual stone's throw from San Francisco and a breezy commute to San Jose.  Both of those cities have more video game design jobs than any other part of the country.  In the United States, more than one third of all jobs available to video game designers and animators are located in California.  The vast majority of these jobs are in and around San Francisco. 

Oakland Schools and Training Programs for Video Game Design

Students interested in pursuing careers in animation and video game design sometimes major in computer science with special focus on digital graphics.  Others earn a degree in programming or math with emphasis on game design and animation.  Some are math majors, perhaps with a minor in game theory.

Oakland residents seeking professional degrees in animation and video game design can attend Holy Names University in Oakland or Expression College for Visual Arts in Emeryville.  San Francisco colleges offering similar degrees include the Academy of Art University, San Francisco State, California College of the Arts and the San Francisco Art Institute.  More training and degree options are available online.  The largest colleges with online degree programs in interactive game design are University of Phoenix, ITT Tech and DeVry.

Working as a Video Game Designer in Oakland

Professional animators and video game designers can earn handy annual sums doing what they do best.  Their salaries depend on factors like experience, effort, talent, ability and geographic location, to name a few.  The average reported annual salary for an animator or video game designer in California is about $77,000.  In the San Francisco area, the average tops $80,000.  However, these averages do not reflect the salaries of self-employed designers. 

Oakland businesses employ many thousand animators and video game designers, although designers seeking bigger paychecks tend to work in San Francisco.  Local companies hiring for these positions include software publishers, mobile phone service providers, colleges and graphic design firms.  Some designers work for top local ad agencies like Big Mouth, Nielsen, Time Inc., Vibrant Media or Young & Rubicam, to name a few.  Others team up with San Francisco-based movie producers like Revolve Productions, KGO, Titan Media and Lucas Arts Entertainment.  Elite design talents might sign with major corporate giants like Pixar Entertainment in Emeryville. 

Employers typically require a degree and experience for entry level positions in the field of video game design.  But you don't necessarily have to work for a firm, considering the endless array of well funded start-ups with websites featuring (or wanting to feature) their own video games.  Animators and video game designers do freelance work.  They might secure gigs as independent contractors with major corporations.  Or maybe design and sell their own games.  Or maybe build game-related websites. 

Recommended Skills for Video Game Designers

Professional video game designers study math, computer science and engineering, as well as graphics, game theory, story lines and character development in order to create realistic, action-packed interactive experiences.  Basically, the designer makes up the rules of the game, works out a scoring system and includes puzzles and other interesting challenges to keep the players engaged.  Then the designer either creates the artwork or consults with professional animators and other graphic artists to capture the visual style that best complements the game's main area of focus.  A designer also play tests a game to help determine its potential for commercial success.  The Holy Grail of video game design is mass market appeal.