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Career Details
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Career Details
15-1255.01 - Video Game Designers
15-1255.01 - Video Game Designers
Design core features of video games. Specify innovative game and role-play mechanics, story lines, and character biographies. Create and maintain design documentation. Guide and collaborate with production staff to produce games as designed.
Key Facts
Bright Outlook
Career Details
Green Job
Career Details
Current Employment
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Tasks
Tasks
The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.
Core
- Review or evaluate competitive products, film, music, television, and other art forms to generate new game design ideas.
- Keep abreast of game design technology and techniques, industry trends, or audience interests, reactions, and needs by reviewing current literature, talking with colleagues, participating in educational programs, attending meetings or workshops, or participating in professional organizations or conferences.
- Provide feedback to designers and other colleagues regarding game design features.
- Balance and adjust gameplay experiences to ensure the critical and commercial success of the product.
- Write or supervise the writing of game text and dialogue.
- Solicit, obtain, and integrate feedback from design and technical staff into original game design.
- Provide feedback to production staff regarding technical game qualities or adherence to original design.
- Prepare two-dimensional concept layouts or three-dimensional mock-ups.
- Present new game design concepts to management and technical colleagues, including artists, animators, and programmers.
- Prepare and revise initial game sketches using two- and three-dimensional graphical design software.
- Oversee gameplay testing to ensure intended gaming experience and game adherence to original vision.
- Guide design discussions between development teams.
- Devise missions, challenges, or puzzles to be encountered in game play.
- Develop and maintain design level documentation, including mechanics, guidelines, and mission outlines.
- Determine supplementary virtual features, such as currency, item catalog, menu design, and audio direction.
- Create gameplay prototypes for presentation to creative and technical staff and management.
- Create and manage documentation, production schedules, prototyping goals, and communication plans in collaboration with production staff.
- Consult with multiple stakeholders to define requirements and implement online features.
- Conduct regular design reviews throughout the game development process.
- Collaborate with artists to achieve appropriate visual style.
- Document all aspects of formal game design, using mock-up screenshots, sample menu layouts, gameplay flowcharts, and other graphical devices.
- Create core game features, including storylines, role-play mechanics, and character biographies for a new video game or game franchise.
Supplemental
- Provide test specifications to quality assurance staff.
- Create gameplay test plans for internal and external test groups.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Knowledge
Knowledge
The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Tools
Tools
The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Technology
Technology
The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Certifications
Certifications
The certifications listed below are useful to pursue if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific certifications are listed for this career
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Licensing
Licensing
The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Related Programs
Online Programs related to this career, offered by participating institution(s), are listed below.
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