“This technology allows you to enter other industries besides game design — medical and industrial simulation, forensics. You shouldn’t learn a skill to focus it on solely one industry when other industries are using the same technology. Game design is just one part of it.” — Jeremy Roden, ISGT program coordinator and lead faculty

Building the Skills of a Successful Game Designer

Whether you choose to enter the video game industry or focus on another specialty, the ISGT program is designed to help you build the skills you’ll need to succeed in your career.

Job Opportunities

Applications for interactive simulation and game technology include:

The first question you and possibly your parents may be asking is, “Am I going to be able to get a job?” The video game industry is highly competitive, and nobody can guarantee you a job. However, with hard work and education, you can find ample career opportunities both locally and beyond.

The Dallas area has been a hotbed for computer game development since the late 1980s. It was the birthplace of the first-person shooter genre; Wolfenstein 3-D, Doom and Quake were all created by Mesquite-based id software. id software is just one of 80 game development companies in the state of Texas. The industry provides more than 2,000 full-time jobs in the state, according to the Texas Film Commission, which details the computer and game industry in Texas. See a history of games created in Texas from 1980 to 2006 on its gameography list.

Game Design Companies in the D/FW Metroplex

Game Design and Film Pre-Production

“I already see the animation industry as a major influence on the way movies are made. Pre-visualization (pre-viz) has allowed directors to work in real time, very much like running around in a 3-D game. My advice to people who want to enter this area is to study how to visualize something in your mind and then practice reproducing it on paper or in 3-D without the reference directly in front of you.” — John McInnis, pre-viz artist

Pre-viz artist John McInnis works out of California creating 3-D pre-visualization for commercials, gamer trailers and films, including visual and story development; storyboarding; shot design; creature, character, environment and vehicle design; 3-D modeling, including animating, rigging, tracking and compositing; and sound design, including character and creature voice-over. He works primarily in Maya, Softimage|XSI, ZBrush, AfterEffects, Photoshop and Boujou.

Mr. McInnis’ film credits include working as a pre-viz artist on two upcoming Chonicles of Narnia films, “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” scheduled for release in 2010, and “Prince Caspian,” scheduled for release in 2008; as pre-viz and post-production artist for “Starship Dave” (2008); as pre-viz artist and concept designer for “Veritas, Prince of Truth” (2006); and as animator and concept designer for “Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over” (2003). Game cinematics credits include Lost Odyssey, Warhawk, LAIR and Area 51.

Mr. McInnis is scheduled to present an animation workshop at Richland College’s Animation Festival in spring 2008.

Salaries and Projected Job Growth

America’s Career Infonet lists 2006 salaries and projected job growth nationwide for these related occupations:

America’s Career Infonet and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics give detailed information about the skills, abilities, work activities and recommended education for: