Being drawn into a world of another time, another dimension, as another person is what makes gaming so addictive. The industry has grown to become a multi-billion dollar industry. Video games of today allow players a brief reprieve from reality with awesome, out-of-this-world visuals, plots and characters. An avid gamer can swear that spending more time on gaming is equally as addictive as hitting the snooze button for another five minutes of sleep.

A good game design and concept translates to big reputation and money for game developers. If being part of a game designing team is your idea of a cool career, here is a short summary of popular game genres that you most likely will have a hand in making during your career:

Multi-Mass Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG)
People play MMORPGs for good graphics and the chance to interact with other online players. Storylines in MMORPGs tend to be weak, but the main draw is normally the chance to socialize with other people through quests and/or to chase away general boredom while training game characters. Familiar titles include Maple Story, Granado Espada and World of Warcraft.

The standard format of an MMORPG includes a set of characters with different skill builds, a world for them to explore, and quests that sends gamers rushing their characters into online adventures and misadventures alike.

Gamers also have the opportunity of exploring “identity tourism” where they can pretend to be anyone behind the anonymity of their game characters. Due to general better treatment of girls online, MMORPG earned the reputation of being known as “Many Men Online Role-Playing as Girls”.

Role-Playing Games (RPG)
Role-Playing Games are usually played on game consoles like the X-Box, Sony Playstation, and sometimes on Nintendo game consoles. In comparison to MMORPGs, RPGs tend to have better storylines and better character design. The main difference is that RPGs are not played online.

RPGs are basically story-based games whereby gamers develop their characters to advance in the game to unlock the best storylines. The stories normally come complete with another world, awesome protagonists and antagonists, a battle system, and quests. It is sort of like an interactive storybook where the gamer is in control of the main character. Unlike a storybook, the gamer has the power to deal with antagonists by building their characters and strategizing for the best ways to defeat them.

Shooter
For gamers who want an outlet to vent their anger, shooter games are the best forms of entertainment. Today, with the introduction of shooter games, players take on the roles of “Police and Thief” – or sometimes, Survivors VS Zombies in games like Left4Dead. Gone are the days when kids used to play with plastic guns in unrealistic colors at playgrounds.

Shooter games normally involve some strategy and knowledge of what is available in your arsenal to win the game, or opposing gamers. Some games require the players to be familiarized with in-game weapons and their usage to advance. Weaponry includes combat shotguns, M-16 Assault Rifles, or even frying pans.

Strategy
Just like a classic game of chess, a player’s speed and quality of decision-making skills greatly affects the outcome of a strategy game. Video or computer games of this genre require players to apply quick analytical thinking to win.

Gamers can form clans and guilds to play against other teams or simply exchange pointers about strategy. Familiar games include Defense of the Ancients (also known as DotA) and Starcraft. Professional gamers can normally be seen playing these games in conventions like the World Cyber Games (WCG).

Game industry is made up of many professionals specializing in many different areas. Career opportunities include jobs as Level Designers, Animators, Scenario Writers and Creative Directors.
In South Korea, being a strategy gamer can be considered a full-time profession. So do you still want to be a Game Designer?

Author Bio: Raffles Education Corporation (REC), listed on the Singapore Exchang, is one of the largest education providers in Asia Pacific. Raffles Design Colleges in Singapore, India and Australia offer game design courses.

Category: Computers and Technology
Keywords: game design course, game design degree, game designer education