Those who are looking to work in the game design field are going to need to have some schooling before they can get a job. Simply going online and working with the freeware that is out there for creating home generated games is not going to be enough experience or knowledge to land a job in any company. Getting a good job in the field is going to require going to video game designer colleges.
Not everyone wants to go to a two or four year college to get a degree for working in the game design field. There are some game designer colleges that offer programs to get their students through the program faster so they can get right to work. These schools do not offer degrees, but they do offer certifications that are accepted at most gaming companies.
These game designer colleges weed out all the classes that are require in a university or community college and only require their students to take those classes that are relevant in the game designer field. This is going to save the students a great deal of time as they are not going to have to take classes that are not necessary. Some can get the required classes and obtain their certification in as little as a year if they work hard at it.
Game designer colleges make it easy for the student to get certified and get out in the work field. The one downside to this type of certification is that it is not going to transfer to a community college or university. If a furthering of the education is wanted, they are going to have to start from scratch.
Some may feel more comfortable taking their time and getting a two years Associated Degree instead of being certified. There is nothing wrong with this and many of the design schools also offer courses that can be transferred to more formal schools. This is offered to assist those who may decide that they want to further their education.
Either way, it is important to get the schooling that is required to be a game designer. No company is going to hire one who does not have some sort of degree or certification in the field. While working knowledge is going to be an asset, the bottom line is that schooling is required to be a game designer no matter what aspect of the field is the preferred one.
There are many different ways to get a video game degree. There are online schools as well as national school chains that offer certification. These degrees can also be had in the universities and community colleges.
Going to college can be a difficult decision to make. Those who want to become a game designer can go to a wide variety of schools to obtain a degree. Some are going to take more time than others to complete but no company is going to hire anyone who does not have any schooling.