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How long have you dreamed of making a video game?
Video game development is a substantial industry, employing over 40,000 people in North America alone. But while many people daydream about working in game development, few have the chops to follow through and take action. We know that's why you're here now: to take action.
These Getting Started pages will introduce you to the world of game development by breaking down some of the complex information. Our goal is to introduce you to career paths, educational options that fit your needs, and advice about how to successfully - and realistically - break into the video game industry.
If you've got the basics down, our homepage has daily news updates and feature articles to keep you in sync with the professional world. Follow the trends, and you'll be a more successful job candidate.
Check out our community forums, too, where you can network with fellow newbies and ask working professionals for their opinionated advice.
To work in game development, you've got to have tenacity. You've got to be willing to work on it every single day. So check in with us often - we'll help you keep tabs.
- Free Game Development Tools For Novice Game Creators
[02.20.18]
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Ready to start making your first game? Developer Thomas Glare examines the capabilities and limitations of many freely available game development tools.
- Getting a Job Creating Sound and Music for Videogames
[04.14.15]
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Industry veteran Will Morton gives hints and tips for anyone looking to jump-start a career in gaming audio.
- Game Career Guide Salary Survey 2014
[08.27.14]
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In the annual Game Career Guide for 2014, you'll find the results of Gamasutra's most recent industry-wide salary survey, which offers useful learnings to indie and AAA developers alike.
- Download the 2014 Game Career Guide Now!
[08.27.14]
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Looking to advance your career in the video game industry? The free annual Game Career Guide for 2014 is now available!
- Look, Ma, No Code
[08.19.14]
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GameSalad and Scirra’s Construct 2 offer amateur developers simple drag-and-drop tools to create entire games without ever learning to program. Let’s take them for a spin.
- Game Developer Salary Survey 2013
[01.30.14]
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Game Developer magazine presents its 12th annual Salary Survey, tracking pay rates across multiple industry fields and comparing salaries across regions and educational backgrounds.
- Using Game Job Boards the Right Way
[10.29.13]
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Looking for a job in games? The Game Prodigy author Brice Morrison will help you use advanced job board techniques.
- 5 Phone Interview Mistakes You Must Avoid
[08.01.13]
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The phone interview is your first and best chance to make a strong personal impression. Jason Bay explains how you should think of a phone interview as a movie trailer tailored for your career.
- Breaking Into Game Design, Part 1
[07.25.13]
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BioWare veteran Ethan Levy offers his insider knowledge in this series of tips for up-and-coming designers looking to land a job in the games industry.
- What Should You Put in Your Portfolio?
[07.09.13]
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John Pearl explains what you should include in your portfolio when hunting for a job in the game industry -- and what you should leave out.
- Get Your Dream Job in the Games Industry
[06.20.13]
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Olga Novikova offers a selection of job-hunting tips for games industry hopefuls, giving hints on how to tackle resumes, cover letters, and phone interviews.
- Building a Strong Game Resume
[06.04.13]
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Looking for a job in the games industry? The Game Prodigy author Brice Morrison will help you build a solid resume with this collection of insider tips.
- Excerpt: How to Become a Video Game Artist
[04.25.13]
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In this excerpt from How to Become a Video Game Artist, Sam R. Kennedy outlines industry basics and gives tips for newcomers wishing to work in the field of the visual arts.
- Cheat Mode: Choosing a Career in the Games Industry
[03.05.13]
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In this excerpt from his book Cheat Mode, author Dan Jacobs outlines the many career opportunities available to games industry newcomers.
- Day Zero: Tips for Starting Out as a Game Artist
[02.28.13]
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In this reprinted blog entry originally featured at Game Career Guide sister site Gamasutra, Jeff Parrott gives a few quick tips for artists entering the games industry.
- Test Drive the Unreal Engine
[01.10.13]
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In this reprinted article from Game Developer magazine's 2012 Game Career Guide issue, Sjoerd De Jong details the steps involved in making a simple third-person game using the Unreal Development Kit.
- Game Jams: Game Development Speed Dating
[10.30.12]
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Here, Game Developer magazine editor Patrick Miller outlines how you can hone your game design skills by taking part in high-speed game jams.
- Game Developer Salary Survey 2012
[08.09.12]
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Originally published in Game Developer magazine, this annual survey provides a comprehensive breakdown of salaries and job prospects for entry-level game developers and beyond.
- How To Break Into The Industry, Part 3
[03.22.12]
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Destin Bales' series of articles for aspiring developers concludes with some essential tips for finding a job and achieving long-term success in game development.
- How To Break Into The Industry, Part 2
[03.15.12]
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In part two of this introductory series for aspiring developers, Destin Bales discusses some of the best ways to develop real experience and prepare a solid portfolio for a future job.
- How To Break Into The Industry, Part 1
[03.13.12]
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In part one of a new series on getting into the game industry, Paragon Studios' Destin Bales outlines the importance of understanding the industry and preparing for a future career.
- Who To Know And What To Do In The Game Industry
[09.08.11]
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In this article, first published in Game Developer magazine's 2011 Game Career Guide issue, we provide a roundup of the key events and organizations to know when breaking into game development.
- Porn Elves and Other Offenses of the Common Student Portfolio
[06.17.11]
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Board member of the Chicago Computer Graphics Society and experienced (Activision, Midway) artist Rachel Nador explains what student artists should not do with their portfolios.
- Parents' FAQs About Game Development
[12.17.07]
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Here we answer some frequently asked questions from parents whose children want to make video games for a living. See also "Reassuring Parents About Game Degrees" for more information about aspiring video game programmers specifically.
- FAQs for High School Students
[10.01.07]
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A list of frequently asked questions for high school students who are interested in a career in game development.
- FAQs for College Students
[10.01.07]
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A list of frequently asked questions for college students who are interested in a career in game development.
- FAQs for Professionals of Other Industries
[10.01.07]
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A list of frequently asked questions for professionals of other industries who are interested in video game development.
- Game Design, An Introduction
[08.20.07]
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What is game design? What do game designers do? What does a designer need to know? How much money do designers make? What job titles can a game designer have? What types of people or personality traits make good designers? What other resources does GameCareerGuide.com have for me if I want to know more about game design?
- Game Programming, An Introduction
[08.20.07]
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What is programming, as it relates to video games? What do programmers do? What does a programmer need to know? How much money do programmers make? What job titles can a game programmer have? What types of people or personality traits make good programmers? What other articles does GameCareerGuide.com if I want to learn more about programming?
- Game Art and Animation, An Introduction
[08.20.07]
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What is art and animation, as it relates to video games? What do video game artists do? What does a video game artist need to know? How much money do game artists make? What job titles can an artist have? What types of people or personality traits make good artists? What other resources does GameCareerGuide.com have for me if I want to know more about art and animation?
- Game Production, An Introduction
[08.20.07]
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What is production, as it relates to video games? What do producers do? What job titles can a producer have? What does a producer need to know? How much money do producers make? What types of people or personality traits make good producers? What other resources does GameCareerGuide.com have for me if I want to know more about production?
- How to Really Get Your First Job in the Game Industry
[07.12.07]
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Simeon Peebler, Department Chair of Game Development at Flashpoint Academy in Chicago, details core requirements for really landing your first job in the growing industry of video games.
- Game Careers: The Basics
[04.12.07]
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Ed Magnin, Chair of the Game & Simulation Program at DeVry University's Dallas-Metro campus, gives basic advice about game careers, including topics such as what it takes, career options and trades, and breaking in.
- Applying for Your First Game Industry Job
[09.01.06]
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Game artist Samuel Crowe gives thorough advice on issues to assess when applying for your first game industry job with insight from industry professionals with a combined thirty years of experience.
- Putting Together a Compelling Resume and Demo
[07.11.05]
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The first step in finding a job in the game industry is to put together a compelling resume, as well as a demo where applicable. This article, written by veteran HR expert McShaffry, serves as a guide to that first important step.
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