Who hasn’t played computer games these days? And, more importantly, who doesn’t like to play computer games! There are games for people of all ages and all kinds of people. If playing computer games on a computer can be so interesting, imaging how interesting it would be to sit down and design them. The game designer is a person who has an amazing amount of imagination and technical skill and he designs games that keep people glued to their computers all day. He can even play around with your emotions using the games he designs!

It’s not easy to be a game designer. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication – but more than that it needs a genuine interest and the passion to become one. Anybody can design video games, but not everybody can design the best ones unless they are driven by the real passion to achieve something and create something that is out of the world! Well, apart from that, you should also have some academic qualifications that would help you, like certifications in graphics and multimedia designing and software development. If you can get yourself a diploma or degree in art, it would also be a great help. You can also get yourself a degree in designing computer games, which could also help you in many ways.

The two basic skills required to become a video game designer are artistic skills and technical skills. There are numerous channels you can pursue in game designing. You may opt to become a programmer or a gaming artist - although design here normally refers to the graphical characteristics of the development of the game.

There are several colleges and schools that specialize exclusively in game development and design. Since gaming has become extremely popular these days, due to the consoles (Play station and Xbox) being such a hit. These courses fill up very quickly. Some of them are pretty expensive but the starting salary as a designer will help you in paying up the debt easily. However, the course material isn’t so easy; it requires hard work and complete dedication.

Some colleges that are said to be the best for potential game designers comprise of:

• Johns Hopkins University

• Savannah College of Art and Design

• Animation Mentor

• The Art Institute Online

• International Academy of Design and Technology

• Art Center College of Design

• Digital Media Arts College

• Pratt Institute

• ITT Technical Institute

• University of Texas at Dallas Arts and Technology

Remember, when you take anything as a career or as a business, it does not remain just fun and games. You require being more responsible and liable for your actions. Moreover, to become a good game designing professional you need to communicate well, as you will have to put other people's sketches and ideas into reality. There are some game designers who have to work only on the game plot, wherein they don’t need as much graphical and software skills, nonetheless, whatever the sub domain, being a designer you may need to know your job well.