What are the Benefits of Studying a Games Degree Course?

Is your true passion games and do you feel that something you love should be a future career? Then maybe you should be studying for a games degree at university. If you are truly passionate, here’s a few ideas on what degrees you could study to secure your career in the industry.

The first option is being a games designer, if you have a love of characters, concept art and feel that you’re naturally imaginative then this is the course for you. With over 20 UK universities offering a games design course there is plenty of options available for any budding designer. Whether it be RTS, RPG or mobile games, there is something for everyone. The University of Huddersfield, Staffordshire University and Teesside University are known for their excellent games design courses, with an excellent starting salary of £19,000.

If design isn’t for you then maybe your love of code can transpire you into the games industry, PHP, HTML or Java, as long as you’re familiar with coding then it’s certainly a viable option. Developing games can mean creating levels, ensuring the designer’s characters come to life and even adding perks, bonuses and impressive gameplay.

US games revenue was expected to grow at a rate of 3.6 percent from 2015 to 2020, according to a new report by PwC. The global video game industry is expected to grow even faster, at a CAGR of 4.8 percent from $71.3 billion in 2015 to $90.1 billion in 2020.

Lots of new businesses and exciting opportunities are emerging in the UK thanks to UK universities now supporting the games industry, yet it’s still yet to reach its full potential and growing as fast as some other countries’ games sectors or even the global average.

So now we understand the market, what’s left for you to study? From designer, to developer to now, games animator, a games animator is needed to bring the games design and code to life. The powerful cut scenes and those amazing skill moves aren’t drawn up overnight and you need a way conveying the too. Which is where a games Animator would come into play. As you begin to apply to university and search for a games degree, it can be tough, but there are plenty of options for every student.

Just a look at some recent global UK successes include Grand Theft Auto V, Clash of Clans and Battlefield 1. Grand Theft Auto V grossed more than $1bn worldwide in just 3 days and since 2014 has been in the top 10 top selling games of all time both in the UK and the US.

With the UK games industry estimated to be the 6th largest in the world, we couldn’t ‘recommend enough for you to check out what games courses are available today.