The Video Game Job Market
In another article, we described a great number of educational opportunities that lay hidden in video gaming. This time, were going to introduce a few employment opportunities as well. 1. Working as a Video Game Clerk. Working at video game store or rental place - either permanently or temporarily - has got to be a teen gamers dream. In a single place, employees have access to the first games and game systems hot off the market and theyre privy to peek inside magazines hot off the press before anyone else. If that wasnt enough, gaming clerks get a discount on what would otherwise be too expensive (games, game systems, and game accessories) to even think about buying. Sweet! 2. Working as a Game Tester. Before a game hits the market, it has to go through extensive testing and if you think the programmers behind the game test their own material, think again. The gaming industry is extremely sensitive about what it puts out into the public. In an effort to remain competitive, it must make absolutely sure that the games it produces work as intended. This is where testers enter the picture. But it isnt easy to become a game tester. Becoming a game tester requires a little inside help but once youre in there, youll not only have access to games that no one else knows about, youll also have an opportunity to shape the game into an experience that you and your comrades prefer. 3. Working as a Game Designer. Do you have good artistic skills? Can you whip out a character faster than you can say, "I drew that"? If so, you may be able to get a career designing video games. Todays video games exude some of the most beautiful graphics ever seen and if you have a good imagination, are able to use some of the most advanced graphics software programs available, and can follow instructions, you could see your own artwork in the next popular video game. 4. Working as a Game Critic. The gaming industry is always looking for good content and if you have a flair for writing combined with a love for games, you could write for game magazines like Game Informer or you could write content for a highly popular gaming website. 5. Working as a Game Programmer. Not a career for everyone, a good game programmer is always in demand. As player preferences change and new technology is developed, someone with the right programming skills has to be there to fill the gap between what players want, and what the gaming industry can supply. Becoming a game programmer requires extensive training in several different development languages - so if you dont have a clue as to what we just said, skip this profession and look into some of the others. The great news about all of this is that the gaming industry shows no sign of disappearing any time soon. Even colleges are getting in on the gaming craze as they fill their course books with game programming classes and game design curriculums. There will always be an opportunity for you to blend your love for games with a steady paycheck as long as you remain dedicated to looking for these opportunities, and you make an effort to stay abreast of whats happening in the gaming world. Check the employment section of your local paper for more, or visit the nearest college to find out what classes and training are available. Want to find out about daisy tree, gardenia tree and other information? Get tips from the Gardening Central website.
