How can I become a Video Game Designer?

I want to become a Video Game Designer?

• I have a passion for video games and i been thinking about being a video game designer for years now and this is what i want to be in. Do i need to learn math in order to get into that field? If yes then what kind of math? And also i have a creative mind. I came up with characters, worlds and plots.I want a good answer:)

• Answer:

  I apologize in advance for how much of a wall-of-text my answer has become. It started out as something quite brief, frankly, but... I guess I got carried away because this is something that I'm passionate about, too xD Honestly, it depends on what kind of Video Game Designer you're going to be. If you enter the field and are expecting to program some aspects of the game, then math is definitely required. I recommend going as far as possible in math (AP/college-level Calculus) because programming and computer science both require a lot of problem solving skills. Graphic design/art/3D-Modeling is also a way to go, but most people tend to overlook the fact that you need to finish all of the programming and mathematics before you actually get to the "art" part of it... There are many other fields that come with being a Video Game Designer, as well. For instance, there's art, audio & background music, system functions, story/plot/theme development... the list can go on and on. However, if you want to become a leading video game designer, you're going to need to touch up on a lot of different skills. First off: people skills. Unless you self-employ yourself, there is a high possibility (90% chance?) that you will be immersed in an environment that requires teamwork and group-effort. Communication is a must because being a video game designer means working with other co-workers in different departments to coordinate different pieces of a game, and if something gets misinterpreted or whatnot, well... you can imagine how that will go. And always be sure to be open with other people's input. There are times when you may have a vision for a game that you want to make, but some issues need to be sorted out, such as practicality, plot-holes, limits, map restrictions, coding and the like. Play around with different components that you think is important to a video game, and see where those lie with your talents or acquired skills, too. Since you mentioned that you have an idea for your characters, worlds, plots, etc., think about what parts of these things you want to/can see yourself developing. Getting a degree of some kind (even a minor) in art, for example, is a good way to start fleshing-out your characters and landscapes to get a feel of what your world and overall theme will look like. If you want to focus more on the story aspect, try aiming for a degree in creative writing to go more in-depth with your characters' personalities, your world's history, and your plot's development. Or perhaps you have an incredible talent with music composition; in that case, pursue a music degree to create the background music, defining theme songs, or even ambient sounds for your game. Although this is a little off-topic from what you requested, I just want to bring something to your attention. Make sure you are extra cautious to your writing, especially your grammar. Though this is the internet and it is widely accepted to be as informal as you want here, be very careful about capitalization, spelling, verb-tense, pronoun/noun-verb agreement, punctuation, and how each idea relates to the next. Your characters, your worlds, and your stories will be a jumbled mess if you don't get into the habit of typing both correctly and coherently, which is something that video game designers will most often spend their time doing. Phew! That was a mouthful. I hope this helps, and I wish you luck with your future career.