Many children if they are not hooked on to the social networking sites, then they are hooked on to online games. If they don’t have an internet connection, then they get the CDs to whet their appetite. How would you feel if you get a chance to build a career out of your past time? Fun isn’t it. Then what are you waiting for get started. According to industry experts this is a goldmine waiting to be tapped. The US alone accounts for $ 6 billion industry. Among the skills required to enter the game development programme is an entry -level knowledge in programming, software engineering, and multimedia design. Using the help of multiple computer environment,students gain the ability to develop games, which include using digital media and different desktop software.Students wishing to pursue a career in Game Design must gain knowledge in interactive multimedia, web animation, C++ programming,and 3D modeling. According to an industry expert, the concepts of game development are explored when students learn about the theories of game play, artist collaboration, and intricate storytelling. Students stepping into programming careers will write the codes that make game play possible, he said, adding that the finished work could include storyline maps and character composites.

The expert said that in the video game design programmes, students will learn the intrinsic later. They receive practical training that gives them vast knowledge in digital animation,scriptwriting, and character development. Animation software packages and scripting languages are major areas of study in this course. One must not forget that computer skills are a must and other topics covered are
level design, photo editing, and game texture mapping. Some of the popular games designing companies in the country are Dhruva Interactive, Paradox Studios, Indiagames and Escosoft, Synapse,Smackall, Ishir Infotech, Csharks, etc. These companies design the games for mobile phones, online and video games. According to an industry expert, the mobile games include board games such as Checkers, Chess, etc. and betting games like casino, puzzle games and word games. K Rajesh Rao, CEO Dhruva, in an interview to a computer magazine said that globally, the games industry was under increasing pressure to reduce development time and cost of production. He said that a typical big budget game development took nearly two years and had a production cost of $4-10 million. Major publishers and studios were looking at outsourcing development, provided quality and reliability considerations were fulfilled by the development partner, he said. On the other hand, Anurag Khurana of Paradox feels that the game developers in the country have the capability to tap the market in the wireless domain. Speaking about the vast market, Pankaj Kedia, South Asia regional director for Discreet, said that till a decade ago there was not even a single game development player. But, presently the trend has changed and the Indian market is looking to tap the market.

Apart from pursuing certification level courses,interested students can pursue bachelor’s and master’s degree level in game art and design. Some of the institutes offering games designing courses are:
• Colorchips Animation Training Centre,Hyderabad
• National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad
• Digital Academy Film School, Mumbai
• Asian Academy of Film & Television,Noida
• Fractions and Frames, Hyderabad