In the old days, video games were confined to the vice of socially awkward, sports-phobic nerds who sat in front of the Nintendo and saw dating as a horrifying and alien concept. Or so the stereotype goes.

But now, video games themselves have matured and hit the dating scene, so to speak, and are among Canada's most diverse and fastest growing markets of the past decade. If you aim to get in this industry's entourage, there are a number of roles that can suit your skills, background, and what you're passionate about.

Games on mobile devices

Lately, there's definitely been a big push in the portable ' iPhones, iPads, tablets and that kind of thing, says Antonio Santamaria, head of engineering at Ottawa's Artech Studios. He explains that touch interfaces and different kinds of input mechanisms are making these portable devices, including cell phones, an avenue where the industry is heading. Also, more opportunities are becoming available for teams to be working on content aimed at portable and mobile markets. Alex Hyder, studio lead at Playfish Montreal, adds that mobile devices have been contributing to the popularity of social network games, which have introduced whole new groups of people to this market.

PROGRAMMER

Perhaps the most multi-faceted aspect of game development. In the gaming industry, programmers write the code for game engines, which can be tweaked here and there to determine how the finished product would look and feel. Programmers also code for the base functions of characters, game play, even sound. They're essentially the tool and die makers in this industry, but work closely with many other personnel on the development team.

SOUND DESIGNER

It's a fairly comprehensive role in that they deal with audio mixing, music and sound tracks, and sound effects. Making realistic sounding dialogue is very difficult, says Hyder, explaining the play-by-play in sports games such as Madden and NBA Live. Sound design requires considerable technical proficiency to successfully compile all the raw sound data into a cohesive package that would weave seamlessly during game play.

PRODUCER

[Producer's] a more senior role, says Santamaria. It's not something you'll start out as. Producers play a supervisor role and oversee much of the logistical and marketing aspects of a game (much like in film), and work closely with management. That's not to say game producers have no technical know-how. Usually they've come up from a development role, so they've been in the trenches, says Santamaria. I wouldn't expect a producer to crack open some code and start writing something, but certainly when your development team is saying they can't do something, you should have an idea why.

GAME DESIGNER

Another senior level position. These folks are more conceptual and less technical. As a designer you'll conceive of the content of the game, layout, and even its overall theme. [Game] Designers are typically very difficult to categorize, says Hyder, explaining how some might have PhDs in philosophy, while others might be writers. They come from all over. A game designer may not necessarily deal with any of the programming, but typically knows scripting language and would work closely with the programming team among others.

TESTER

Before official release, games are tested for quality assurance, ranging from compliance to corporate guidelines, compatibility, bugs, and other issues. Essentially your responsibilities are to verify the integrity of the game itself and verify that it meets the criteria that's necessary for it to get published, says Santamaria. Gamers might be familiar with beta testing, which is when a developer allows external users, mostly volunteers, to test the product and relay feedback to the development team. This method reveals bugs the programmers may have missed, but also gives game enthusiasts a chance to get a taste of the industry.

Employers such as EA and Artech Studios are looking for students who have a technical background in scripting, art, programming, and communication skills. But as always, having that hands-on experience outside of your studies would really make you stand out.

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