Game design

It entirely depends on your learning and career goals. Game design is that kind of field where experience and networking will matter more. It is good to have a degree, ie., going through the conventional route where you learn the basics and convert your theoretical knowledge into practical knowledge. That being said, you can find plenty of online resources, most of which are free. And if you are passionate about it, you can look into beginner-level tutorials from YouTube, start with free-to-enrol courses on Coursera or edX and eventually earn some paid certifications that are more aligned with today's game industry's standards.  

Here are some top reasons to learn Game Design in 2024. 

• The Economic Times highlights a gap in console gaming design skills, particularly in India.
• According to AmbitionBox, the current yearly salary of a game designer in India with less than a year of working experience is INR 1 LPA. But, if the experience is 8 years, an average annual salary is INR 17 LPA. (See salary range by experience below).  
• Avinash Pandey, co-founder of Lila Games, mentions that although India has skilled engineers and artists, they lack a deep understanding of game design and economy.
• The rise of 5G and cloud gaming will make games cheaper by reducing the need for hardware updates. Smaller studios can benefit from mergers and acquisitions with larger ones, improving cloud distribution services and potentially bringing cloud games to TV.
• Games have evolved beyond entertainment and have out-of-game communities on platforms like Discord and Reddit.
• According to Bain & Co, gamers between 13 and 17 years old spend more time on games than on any other medium, indicating their increasing contribution to the video game sector in the future.