Game design jobs aren’t just available for professionals who attended a game design program while enrolled in a college or university. In fact, a computer science degree is just as useful for this industry. That’s because designing modern games involves a great deal of strategizing, programming and calculating, all of which are considered the core strengths of a top-ranked program in computer science. Graduates of a computer science major at colleges and universities across the country should consider the jobs most likely to be available to them as they put their skills to use in creating next-generation, fully immersive games.

Game Programmer

Games may appear on the outside to be an entirely visual experience, but the underlying foundation of all games is a massive amount of computer programming that makes everything possible. That’s why computer science professionals are considered absolutely essential to the creation of modern game environments. Using the advanced programming skills that all computer science professionals must learn, a game programmer will help to combine the basic code for accessing the game with the advanced code needed to track motion, interface with an online gaming community, and permit connection with other game players around the world. This programming serves as the gateway to every visual effect in the game. Without a great programmer at the helm, a game would never get off the ground.

Desktop Software Programmer

Another job that is often filled by computer science professionals involves the creation and maintenance of desktop software linked to popular games. The “Steam” portal for online gaming, which is among the most popular downloads for computer-based gamers, requires a full team of seasoned programmers, for example. Those programmers work in languages that mesh well with Windows, OS X, and Linux environments, as well as many mobile environments on today’s smartphones. Their work is instrumental when it comes to delivering gaming downloads to PCs and enabling collaboration between gamers through the Steam software. As this approach continues to grow in popularity, the demand for desktop programmers within the gaming industry will likely continue to increase exponentially over time.

Mobile Gaming Programmers

Desktop gaming may be going through a renaissance, but mobile gaming is just getting its footing in a world filled with PCs and consoles. That bodes well for the computer science experts, since their knowledge of programming and user interfaces will help them translate games to the smallest of small screens. Mobile programming jobs in this area of the gaming industry are growing at a rapid clip, driven by the fast pace of smartphone hardware and operating system advancement in recent years. This is also an excellent way for traditional mobile programmers to work within their field of expertise while creating something a bit more fun and unconventional when compared to a standard mobile productivity app. With massive growth is expected in mobile gaming over the next decade, this sector of the industry also represents the best chance at job security and long-term development.

Three Great Choices for Today’s Computer Science Professionals

The gaming industry has perhaps never been more vibrant, competitive, and full of diverse experiences. As the industry continues to take advantage of a desktop resurgence, new console releases, and rapid developments in the mobile gaming space, computer scientists will find that their skills are more highly in demand than ever before. For this reason, game design careers will continue to be widely available to professionals with a computer science background.