5 Reasons to Become a Game Developer

Working in the video games industry is an experience unlike any other in the entertainment sector — or elsewhere. The unique combination of technical and artistic skills, the meeting of passionate and creative minds, and the possibility of reaching audiences of millions of people are things that few other human activities can offer.

The unprecedented and rapid growth of the industry has also made it possible for video game developers to be increasingly well-paid, making this job an attractive option for artists, programmers, designers and specialists in other related fields, such as marketing, public relations, and project management. The sector’s expansion also means there’s not a shortage of opportunities.

However, everything has its ups and downs, and entering and being part of this industry is no exception. Publishing and launching a video game involves enormous efforts from everyone involved. While great strides have been made to make workplaces as inclusive and welcoming as possible, intense work hours, rapidly changing schedules, and stress can happen even while creating the most uncomplicated games.

Nevertheless, here at Haptic, we believe entering this magnificent industry is one of the better options you might ever have. And we collected five reasons to tell you why.

There is no funnier way to expand your engineering and programming skills.

It's no mystery that the basis of great video games is pure tech. Programmers and software engineers are usually the reason a game succeeds or breaks — sometimes literally — and video game development offers abundant opportunities to test their skills. Technical constraints, ambitious problems, and being able to try out the industry's newest toys are excellent reasons to pursue a career as a game maker if you have the skills to match.

Depending on the game engine you're working on, being talented in programming languages like C+, Python, Java, Javascript, and others can make the difference between a well-optimised product and a bug-ridden spawn of chaos. And while this may sound challenging at first glance, it's much more fun and satisfying to fix the bugs needed to make a video game character jump correctly than those bugs happening on other tedious jobs in the industry.

You can choose your career’s future with total freedom.

Unlike other sectors where career progression tends to be remarkably linear and structured, game development allows greater flexibility in how you want to see yourself over the next few years. While almost all paths start as a QA tester or junior programmer — we have covered both possibilities in previous blog posts — from there, the sky is the limit.

A QA tester can become a designer, producer, or programmer at their heart’s desire, depending on their background and skills. The same goes for an artist or an engineer. Even graphic designers or marketing experts can end up in wildly different positions if their curiosity and eagerness to learn new skills lead them down that path.

Such career leaps are challenging to execute in a finance or business career.

Your art portfolio will grow exponentially with ease.

If you're an aspiring concept artist or art director, mark our words. Few places let you develop an impressive art portfolio as quickly as the video game industry. Even for the less challenging projects, the number of designable assets far exceeds those of any other entertainment project.

The engine's technical limitations and the ease of use that such assets must have is a separate school for most 2D and 3D artists. Necessity is the mother of invention, and any video game — whether an indie or a AAA game — requires the same focus on optimisation and great design.

So if you want to make your Artstation or Behance portfolio shine, offering your services to a game studio — or better yet, creating your own game — can be a great way to show what you're made of.

Being a game developer is a great starting point for any job in the tech industry.

Or for any other job, for that matter.

The number of soft skills you need to learn to be a successful game developer is not only enormous: it's crucial to perform well in any work environment. Time management, people management, process design and optimisation, pressure and stress management, and even a language or two are just the tip of the iceberg of what you can aspire to develop if you decide to join the industry.

Working in a reputable game studio is also an excellent stepping stone to technical positions in larger companies — as long as programming and engineering skills are critical. It is not uncommon for gaming industry leaders to be considered gurus in other areas: John Carmack, the legendary programmer and developer behind id Software's greatest hits, was the chief technological officer of Oculus VR until 2022.

If you’re a creative person or storyteller, your message will reach everyone.

Finally, the reach a good story or creative concept may have in video games is one of the greatest in the entertainment and technology industry. The latest film and TV adaptations of famous video games prove that good storytelling knows no boundaries.

Being a video game developer can be a fantastic opportunity for someone whose creativity is just as vast. Especially for the more multi-faceted artists, the chance to blend writing, music, voice, and art into one experience is incredibly alluring. The best part? The structure and planning required to meet development goals can endow you with a discipline and sense of pragmatism not often seen in creative collectives.

Who knows? Your story might be part of the next animated film to earn over a billion dollars at the box office.