As technology advances, the quality of art within video games is expected to become more and more realistic. As such, studios are becoming increasingly interested in high talent artists to heighten the graphic quality of their games. Nick Heitzman, a game developer, said “As gaming continues to rise in popularity, cross gender and social boundaries, and expand in what defines a gaming experience, artists of all types will be in high demand to provide all the visual elements we as game consumers expect and at the quality we demand.”
Video game artists are faced with the challenge of creating an experience, rather than just something to look at. Matt Carofano, art director on “Skyrim” said “It’s interactive. It’s different than if you are making a sculpture or a painting. You know that people are going to play this art and not just see it from one specific angle. They are going to walk around it and make up their own story as they look at the work you’ve made.”
Despite the challenges, there are definitely benefits to the designing of video games. According to Game Developer magazine’s 2010 annual industry salary survey, artists make $71,354 a year.