Want to make video games and break into the game design industry? One of the best ways to do that is to stand on the shoulders of giants and learn from people already in the industry.
Gone are the days when games were made in isolation by one person in a garage, and most game designers have social media accounts. Here are some Twitter accounts to help you keep up with developments in the video game industry.
Top Twitter Accounts for Game Designers to Follow
New York Film Academy
@NYFA
Love playing #games on your console or smartphone? Maybe there’s a career in it for you. http://t.co/BCxj6Z3PGc via @YouTube #gaming
— NY Film Academy (@NYFA) January 9, 2015
If you’re not following us already, you definitely should! Our own game design school offers some of the best programs in the country, so our official Twitter account is a good source for tweets related to careers in video game design.
Santa Monica Studio
@SonySantaMonica
Read Santa Monica Studio Senior Designer @bbupton 1st game design book – The Aesthetic of Play http://t.co/6VSnF2mFTK pic.twitter.com/U1dOGNX0Cl
— Santa Monica Studio (@SonySantaMonica) January 23, 2015
Santa Monica Studio has made some of the Playstation’s most popular games, including the God of War series and Journey. Many of its tweets relate to game design and game design tutorials.
Brian Upton
@bbupton
Game design is never about solving problems. Game development is always about solving problems.
— Brian Upton (@bbupton) January 23, 2015
Brian Upton is the senior game designer at Santa Monica Studio and has published a book on game design, The Aesthetic of Play. His account is filled with thoughts about game design and the aesthetics of design, making his one of the top Twitter accounts for game designers to follow.
Gamasutra
@gamasutra
Video: Tips on designing your game to offer meaningful choices, from experienced #gamedev @mworch – http://t.co/AObeFFTk5s
— Gamasutra (@gamasutra) January 22, 2015
Gamasutra is a web site dedicated to the “art and business of video games.” It’s chock full of articles related to game design and the video game business, and following Gamasutra’s Twitter account is a good way to keep up with its content.
Josh Taylor
@JoshTaylor0605
12 Tricks to Selling Your Ideas, Your Game & Yourself : http://t.co/XC3Ko3FwKn #gamedev #indiedev #gamedesign #gamemarketing
— Josh Taylor (@JoshTaylor0605) December 20, 2014
Josh Taylor is an independent game developer and entrepreneur. His Twitter stream is filled with useful links to articles and videos focusing on the business of game design and development.
YoYo Games
@YoYoGames
Tom Francis (@Pentadact) creator of Gunpoint, is doing a new series about making your first game – in #GameMaker https://t.co/R1k1OCldCB
— YoYo Games (@YoYoGames) January 9, 2015
One way to make a video game is to program one from scratch. Another way is to use a game creation program such as GameMaker: Studio from YoYo Games. Follow YoYo Games’ Twitter account for tutorials on making games, as well as news related to indie game development.
Unity Technologies
@unity3d
How to plan – and make! – your first game, step by step. Let’s do this! #ExtraCredits #gamedev http://t.co/jMIT3Ux0Cs
— Extra Credits Team (@ExtraCreditz) January 21, 2015
The Unity Engine is a popular cross-platform tool for making video games. Its creator, Unity Technologies, keeps abreast of news in the game development industry on its Twitter account and is a rich source for such news.
RPG Maker Web
@RPGmakerweb
What do you believe is your biggest hurdle in making your game? Now: what is your plan to overcome that hurdle? #gamedev
— RPG Maker Web (@RPGmakerweb) January 23, 2015
One of the most popular genres of video games is the role-playing game, and one of the quickest ways to make an RPG is with a software program such as RPG Maker, which provides the tools for both programmers and non-programmers to make a full-featured RPG. Follow this account not just for specific information about RPG Maker, but for information about game development in general.
David Rosen
@Wolfire
Posted a new Overgrowth alpha video showing level prototypes, animation and physics improvements, and other changes: http://t.co/jgENlS2P1Z
— David Rosen (@Wolfire) November 27, 2014
David Rosen is the founder of indie game developer Wolfire Games and has extensively documented the development of their upcoming game Overgrowth. Budding game designers will be interested to see how Rosen approaches various challenges in designing Overgrowth, from graphics to documentation.
Game Informer
@gameinformer
This video of @romero playing Doom and discussing its design is a “must watch.” – http://t.co/977lul28E3 pic.twitter.com/hhMevIDbV8
— Game Informer (@gameinformer) January 23, 2015
Game Informer is an extensive video game news website covering all aspects of the video game industry, including game design and development. As a result, they run one of the top Twitter accounts for game designers to follow.
Taught by industry-leading faculty in the field of game design, our variety of video game design programs teach students the fundamentals of artwork and storytelling for video games. Visit our Game Design Discipline page to learn more.