What You Need to Know to Be a Video Game Designer in Detroit

More and more youthful video gamers are seeking careers in Animation or Video Game Design.  The skills involved in this occupation appeal as much to competitive techies as to a new generation of artists who can finally make a living at their craft.  Thousands of Michigan businesses hire Animators and Video Game Designers.  Most of these jobs are located in or near Detroit. 

Detroit Schools and Training Programs for Video Game Design

Many area colleges and Universities offer degree programs in Animation and Video Game Design.  People pursuing this field often become computer science majors, perhaps with special focus on digital graphics.  Some earn programming or math degrees with emphasis on game design and animation.  Local schools offering degrees Animation and Interactive Game Design include Marygrove College in Detroit, DeVry in Southfield and The Art Institute, which has campuses in Troy and Novi.  However, similar training programs and employment opportunities are  available throughout the state. 

Working as a Video Game Designer in Detroit

Animators and Video Game Designers who are willing to work can make a lot of money doing what they like best.  As you might expect, the pay rate for this type of work varies depending on experience, effort, talent, ability, productivity, networking and geographic location, among other things.  The average annual salary for an Animator or Video Game Designer in the United States ranges from about $35,000 to more than $200,000 per year.  However, this data fails to account for the unknown salaries of an unknown number self-employed individuals. 

Detroit area businesses that hire for these positions may include software publishers, mobile phone service providers, colleges, universities, graphic design firms and animation studios, as well as advertising agencies like Johnson, BBDO, Young & Rubicam, GM Planworks, JWT and Starcom.  Some designers work for Detroit-based film producers like Giant Eel Productions and Bridge Entertainment. 

Entry level positions in Animation and Video Game Design usually require an Associate's degree and professional-level game design experience.  But you don't have to work for a firm, considering the the tremendous wealth of private companies and websites featuring (or wanting to feature) their own video games.  Professional Animators and Video Game Designers often work as freelance consultants, creating their own schedules and working from home.  They can secure gigs as independent contractors for more than one company, or they can design and sell their own games independently.

Recommended Skills for Video Game Designers

A Video Game Designer dreams up the rules of a game, creates a playable scoring system and develops original puzzles, booby traps and other clever challenges aimed at holding the player's attention.  Then the designer creates the artwork and/or consults with professional Animators and other graphic artists in order to capture a visual style appropriate to the elements of the game.  A designer usually has a game play-tested by other gaming enthusiasts to gauge its potential for commercial success. 

Professional Video Game Designers study math, computer science, graphics, game theory, story lines, character development, marketing and other disciplines to create realistic, action-packed interactive products.  Video Game Designers strive for universal appeal in the hopes that their games will go viral and be downloaded by millions of players.