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This is one of more than 30 interviews with professional game developers. For more, visit Which game job is right for you?.
Profile photo of Brian Gish, tools programmer
“You have to prove you’re passionate about the games industry.”

Meet Brian Gish, Video Game Tools Programmer

Brian Gish has been programming video games for a decade, but not in the way you might think. He’s more of a “behind the scenes” coder. It’s Brian’s code that enables the artists, designers, and game programmers to do their jobs quickly and efficiently – and that means players get more game, and better game, for their buck. Brian is a Tools Programmer.

Today we’re talking to Brian about his experience in this little-known but critically important job. We’ll find out how he got started, why he loves it – and why you might, too.Read more »

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This is one of more than 30 interviews with professional game developers. For more, visit Which game job is right for you?.
david_c_galloway_game_systems_programmer
David’s been bending computers to his will for 30 years. What’s his secret?

Meet David C. Galloway, Video Game Systems Programmer

David Galloway began his game programming career on the Commodore 64 home computer, and has created game play code for top-shelf franchises like Assassin’s Creed and X-Men.

But his real super power is in building game system code – the core programming that drives a game engine. From math libraries, to 3D animation systems, to the code that empowers Atair to free climb across Cyprus, David writes the code that turns lifeless polygons into living, breathing 3D worlds. Read more »

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By Posted in Careers 3 Comments

How much are Game Developers paid? There are many jobs on a video game development team, and “game developer” can refer to any of them: programmers, artists, designers, audio engineers, and more. Game developers are paid well above national average income levels, but some are paid more than others. It depends on job title, years of experience, region, and other job-specific factors discussed below.

The following graphs show average game developer pay, and each section includes links to learn more. The data is pulled from several authoritative sources (see endnote for references), and is updated every 6 months.
Read more »

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By Posted in Schools 1 Comment
Which "traditional" universities actually offer video game degrees?
Which video game school is right for you?

Choosing a college or university can be a lot of work, and it can feel like a big commitment. That’s because it is!

The top video game design schools in the country are ranked and listed below. But just because they’re ranked best by Princeton Review, that’s not a guarantee they’re the best for you. Before you decide on a video game school, use the information on this page to research your options.Read more »

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By Posted in Careers 21 Comments
This is one of more than 30 interviews with professional game developers. For more, visit Which game job is right for you?.
Profile picture of Dan Posluns, Video Game Programmer
Dan’s got a trick for getting the attention of the big game studios. How does he do it?

Meet Dan Posluns, Video Game Programmer

Dan Posluns began his adventure in the cold northern lands of Canada, but journeyed to the USA to pursue a career programming video games. He’s worked on top franchises such as Spore, The Simpsons, The Sims, and LEGO Star Wars, and has written code on multiple platforms including handheld and mobile. He speaks with us today about what it takes to become a game developer, and how you can start your own quest programming games. Read more »

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By Posted in Careers 14 Comments
Which degree is required to become a Game Designer?
Which degree is required to become a Game Designer?

Is your quest to become a video game designer? If so, you might feel that you’re facing a difficult journey with many decisions to make. Should you go to a video game college, state college or private university? Should you focus on programming, design, or art? Is a 4-year degree enough or is more required of you?

There are many roads to take, and many educational paths to choose. Which one leads to your dream job making games?Read more »

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Imran Khan Kaki
Imran knows what it takes to break into India’s game industry. He helped build it.

Imran Khan Kaki is an award-winning game developer and early pioneer in India’s video game industry. He continues to play a role in the growth of the Indian game dev scene and runs a large studio in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.

He speaks with us today about the growth of game development in India, and offers advice for Indian students who want to build toward a game dev career at home or abroad.Read more »

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By Posted in Careers 4 Comments
This is one of more than 30 interviews with professional game developers. For more, visit Which game job is right for you?.
Jason Bay poses with a zombie by Rich Werner, 2D Artist
This is me, posing at PopCap’s Seattle offices with one of Rich Werner’s zombies. “Braaaaaiiiins!”

Meet Rich Werner, 2D Artist/Animator behind “Plants vs Zombies”

Rich Werner has been using his art to make games come alive (or at least, undead) for over 15 years. He’s well-known as the artist behind Plants vs Zombies, an award-winning franchise that’s sold millions of units across a dozen gaming platforms.

Rich left his job at PopCap Games in 2012, and set out on his own to spawn a new breed of indie games. Today we talk with him about his role as a self-employed video game artist, and what it takes to succeed as a 2D Artist – whether you want to work inside of a game studio, or out on your own.Read more »

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By Posted in Careers 54 Comments
This article is part of the Video Game Developer Salary series. See the annual pay for all video game jobs here.
young video game artist
Does video game art pay better than finger painting? Or is it just slightly less messy?

Table of Contents

  1. Game Artist salary: Overview
  2. Game Artist salary: Factors
  3. Game Artist salary: Details
  4. Other factors that affect Artist salary
  5. Demand for Game Artists
  6. Should I become a Game Artist?

When I started playing video games way back in the 1970’s, the “art” was pretty terrible. A game’s screen could only show a few colors at a time. Often, the “character” you were playing was little more than a colored square. Games were so simple that it was common for a single developer to do everything by herself – all the design, all the coding, and all the art.

Over the years, that changed. Gaming systems grew more powerful, exploding from two dimensions into three-dimensions in full color. At the same time, the video game artist’s job became too much for one person to handle. Now, the job that was once done by a single artist has split into many different art specialties. Each one has its own tools and techniques that take a lifetime to master. But when it comes to the paycheck, not all art jobs are created equal.

How much do video game artists make? And how much could you make as a game artist?Read more »

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By Posted in Interviewing 5 Comments
This article is part of our Video Game Job Hunt Guide. Read the full guide to learn how to write a strong resume, build a winning portfolio, ace your job interviews and more.
JC Connors, Senior Video Game Manager
JC Connors has interviewed hundreds of up-and-coming video game developers. Do you have what it takes to make the cut?

J.C. Connors has been running large game studios for many years. He’s interviewed and hired literally hundreds of people, so we’ve invited him to share his best advice on how to ace your interview. His guest post below is full of high-value tips and insights, so if you’re interviewing for game jobs, keep reading!

J.C. Connors: Interviewing for game companies can be daunting. It’s a bit like being a guest star on a long-running sitcom: Everyone you are about to meet has worked together for the past five years, knows each other’s quirks and passions, cares deeply about their team and creative process – and you’re the newbie who only has an hour to impress everyone.

In the last few years, the game industry has become more competitive than ever. Big studios are shutting down, developers are focusing more on quality, and schools are graduating more talented engineers, artists, and designers than at any time in the history of video games.Read more »

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