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Author: Jason W. Bay

Jason W. Bay is a three-decade game industry professional, credited on dozens of video games since 1995. He's held diverse roles in the game industry including Tester, Game Designer, Technical Director, Product Manager, and Director of Studio Operations, and has been a featured speaker at international game developer conferences. He's currently a Senior Product Manager at Amazon Game Studios in Seattle, WA.

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If you’re planning a career as a video game developer, your first step is to learn to code in a language that professional developers use to make the greatest games in the world. But which one of the many game programming languages should you learn first?

It’s a big decision. Programming languages take a long time to learn, and you don’t want to waste time learning to code in a language that’s just the “flavor of the month.”

Instead, you want to learn a language that’s valued by top game companies like Valve, Riot, Blizzard, or Nintendo. Which programming languages will help you get hired at a top game company?

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No matter what job you have or how much you’re getting paid, one thing is certain: Your paycheck would be bigger if you got promoted.

But how do you get promoted? Why are some people promoted while others are passed by — even when they work as hard as everyone else? Does it really have anything to do with how hard you work (performance), or is it more about who you know (politics)?

To answer these questions and more, I spoke with promotions expert B.J. Schone. As a veteran in human resources and career development, Schone has spent two decades helping people grow their careers, and is the author of The Essential Guide to Getting Promoted at Work.

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A job in the video game industry can take your career in any direction, anywhere in the world. You can thrive in a range of companies, from a big-budget “triple-A” team — such as the developers of Call of Duty — to a group of friends creating the next hit indie game, to a mobile game company developing the next great mobile game.

Having so many career options is great, but it does pose a problem for job-seekers: How do you decide what kind of company you should work for?

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If you want a career in the video game industry, finding the right educational program can jump-start your career and help you find a better game job, faster.

But unfortunately, college isn’t cheap — many programs can cost a small fortune that could take you years to pay back after graduation.

That’s where scholarships, and other forms of financial aid, can really make a difference. Scholarships can reduce the amount you pay for college, which means you’ll have a lot less to pay back after you graduate. Keep reading to learn where you can find the best video game scholarships, and find out how to make sure your application has the best shot at getting accepted.

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A growing number of avid gamers are showcasing their creativity by making fan art and fanfiction to support their favorite game franchises and characters.

Have a scroll through Twitter and Instagram, and you’ll see hundreds of drawings and comic strips from the Among Us community, while fanfic platforms are filled with lots of Kingdom Hearts and Pokemon-inspired novels and short stories.

But while some of the best fanfic authors and fan artists get a lot of love and support from their peers online, they often don’t get the commercial recognition they deserve. Can you really turn fan art or fanfic into a career?

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If you search for open jobs in the game industry, you might be disappointed to see that most postings seem to require a college degree. But in fact, many game jobs — from testing, to art, to production — actually do not require a degree. And some others only require a degree “equivalent,” which means you may not need a degree if you have experience in a related area.

Here’s a list of the top video game careers that don’t require a degree. They’re all entry-level jobs, so the pay is lower than average for the game industry. But everyone needs to start somewhere! You may start out as an “associate,” but with any luck you’ll move up quickly in pay and title, once you get a little on-the-job experience. After that, the sky is the limit.

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Computer programming, also known as “coding,” is one of the most in-demand jobs in the world. It’s also among the highest paid, because there’s an ongoing global shortage of people who know how to code.

And with the tech industry booming with no end in sight, tech companies that make products like software, websites, robots, and video games will continue to grow and demand talented coders for years to come.Read more »

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Uri Marchand - CEO and co-founder of Overwolf

In an industry as big as video games, there are many different ways to earn a living. That’s because each time a game company decides to make a new game, it creates hundreds — often thousands — of new jobs.

The most well-known are jobs in game development, employed directly by game companies. But there are many other jobs that I call “gaming ecosystem” jobs. They aren’t created by a game company — instead, they are powered by the community of passionate gamers. Ecosystem jobs include game journalists, streamers, e-sports athletes, commentators, modders, community builders, and others who earn a living advocating and supporting the game and its players.

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Virtual Reality (an immersive, computer-simulated experience) comes in handy for many practical purposes like training, education, and physical therapy. But let’s be honest: Without a doubt, what gets people most excited is virtual reality video games.

That’s because playing games in virtual reality (VR) is absolutely amazing. It’s hard to explain why, but if you’ve tried it even once, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. And if you haven’t tried it yet, just go to YouTube and watch a few videos of people playing a VR game. Their knees get weak when they walk near a VR cliff. They can’t help but scream when a VR zombie takes them by surprise. And they literally fall off the chair when a VR roller coaster takes an unexpected hairpin turn.

The reality may be “virtual,” but the emotions and adrenaline sparked by a great VR game are very, very real.

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Lauryl Zenobi is a UX Researcher and author of a new book, "I Want a UX Job!"

Have you ever leaned hard to push a door open, only to discover too late that it’s actually a “pull” door? (And then glanced around embarrassed to see who noticed?) It wasn’t your fault. Some doors just don’t make it obvious whether to push or pull. My least favorite doors are even worse: they actually have a pull handle but still require a push!

Who designs all these confusing doors? Is it some kind of sick prank? Do the designers laugh diabolically as they imagine how dorky I’ll look pulling the push doors and pushing the pull doors?

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