Can Video Games Have Positive Effects?

Many people (particularly parents) often argue that video games are destroying our youth, and games such as Grand Theft Auto are causing people to think that it's okay to murder, steal cars and beat up pedestrians. Others complain that the kids of today are suffering from obesity because they are spending so long sat in front of their televisions playing video games instead of playing outside with their friends.

Despite all of this, there are some obvious and not-so obvious benefits that video games can have. First of all, anyone that might call themselves a hardcore gamer (or even a casual gamer) will almost certainly boast increased hand-eye coordination over someone that plays no games at all. The reason being that your eyes are taking in information from the screen which your hands must then act upon (by pressing buttons on the controller). All of this needs to take place within fractions of a second, as reaction times are very important.
Another more bizarre benefit that most people would never consider is that video games can be used for therapy. A football simulation game called 'Football Manager' seems to attract football fans for lots of different reasons. Of these fans, many say that they play the game to feel better after their team loses.

It is no surprise that a quick look on the Football Manger forums will see more Liverpool, Newcastle and Aston Villa fans all trying to take their teams to the top. It is also no surprise that all of these teams in recent years have been perennial underachievers, and this is why their fans have been drawn to playing the game. From a fans' point of view, Football Manager is a fantasy in which they can act out winning.

How to Make a Career in Video Games

There is a boom in the video games industry. More and more skilled professionals are in demand by game development companies. And there is no dearth of careers in video games. You can choose to become a texture artist, a concept artist, a level designer, a physics programmer, a user interface programmer etc. There are multiple career options waiting for aspiring candidates. But before you step into the video gaming industry to make a career, it is essential to decide which career path you want to choose. Whether you want to choose a programmer's career, a designer's career or an artist's career, it will depend on your interest and skills.

Video game development companies are trying to develop computer games or video games that look 'amazingly real' and excite and engage users. These companies are targeting not only the fans of video games but also those who play games casually. In order to make the gaming environments more and more realistic, game development companies are looking for talented candidates who have a passion for playing as well as making games.

Career Paths That You Can Choose in Gaming Industry
Figure out your interests to pursue a desire career in games industry. Candidates need to have a combination of artistic and technical skills to be successful in their careers. If you really desire to make a profitable career in games, you need to have the knowledge of both the artistic and technical aspects of the games, gaming environments and its multiple elements.

Here's is a list of career paths you can choose when you step into the video gaming industry -

Concept Artists
Texture Artists
Level Designer
Physics Programmer
User Interface (UI) Programmer
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Programmer
Sound Programmer
Animator
Tester
Publisher

Video game programmers deal with the technical aspect of the game while designers and work on the artistic aspects. Animators deal with object animation techniques. However, all these professionals work as part of a team to make gaming environments exciting, engaging, user friendly and as realistic as possible. Work environments are mostly very casual and it is quite fulfilling coordinating with others specialists and experts in the field of video or computer games.

Educational Requirements/ Skills
For most of the video games careers, candidates need to posses a degree in computer science, multimedia arts, graphics arts etc. Additionally, candidates can enroll in training programs and courses offered in game related majors. Today, there are hundreds of schools that offer courses and training in game related majors including video game console design, C++ programming for game developers, introduction to robotics, graphics programming, game mathematics, artificial intelligence for game developers, physics for game developers, video game testing etc. A strong passion for playing and making games, however, is the key requirement for taking up any career in video games industry. Interpersonal skills always play an important role to have a successful career. Candidate need to improve their communication skills, team playing skills, ability to change original ideas as per the game development project requirement, ability to abide by the timeline, ability to have a keen eye for details etc.