In the recipe for fun, Video Game Designers are the secret sauce. Kelly Murphy, a Video Game Designer for Walt Disney, spends his time creating Disney games that are exciting and challenging to play. Read more to learn what makes a Video Game Designer such a cool job!

What is your job?

I am a Video Game Designer and part of a team that creates video games for Walt Disney Company. Many of the games we work on are based on Disney Movies, like Cars 2. A designer's is important because we decide all the game details that capture a player's attention. Designers decide things like how many levels a game should have, how long a train chase should be or how high a game character should jump. These details create excitement and make the game fun to play.

Why did you choose this career?

I majored in Film in college and loved entertaining and creating something special for my audience. Video games took my love for entertaining to another level by allowing me to create a unique, interactive experience for game players.

Explain what an average week at work is like for you.

Upcoming game releases tend to determine how many hours our team will work. The Disney studio uses color codes to describe busy times of the year. For example, code-yellow means the team is working 40-50 hours a week, which is pretty common. Hours jump to over 60 hours a week in late summer and right before Christmas when a lot of movies and games are released. These busy times at the studio are called code-red.

What do you like best about your job?

I enjoy working with a team and bringing a movie to life with video games. Movies are an important part of our culture and entertainment, but as a video game designer I take players to another world where they can interact with both the heroes they love and villains they love to hate.

When you were a kid, did you like science, technology, engineering and/or math? 

I really liked science as a kid and enjoyed astronomy in college, but always had a hard time with math. I wish I had taken more math classes in school because it would help with my job as I learn new technical information such as scripting.

Was there a moment when you knew that you wanted to become a Video Game Designer? Tell us about it.

There wasn't a notable moment when I decided to become a Video Game Designer. Instead, it seems that everything leading up to my position at Disney was just leading in that direction. As a kid, I played Sierra Computer Games and in middle and high school I spent hours conquering levels in Sonic the Hedgehog on Sega Genesis. In college, I actually quit a job to stay home and play a video game. I've grown a lot emotionally and professionally since graduation, but one thing remains the same: the best video game designers have a true and unwavering love of gaming themselves.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in your journey to becoming a Video Game Designer?

Where to begin... There have been many challenges, but I am often my greatest obstacle. The more you learn in the video game development world the more you realize you don't know. There is always new and better technology to learn. I was a tester in college at Microsoft and my job was finding problems with games. Now, as a Video Game Designer I have to come up with the solution to problems, which can be challenging.

Was there a person who inspired or convinced you to get involved in your field? Who was he/she and how did he/she do it?

I had many inspirations. I was inspired by my childhood friend who followed his passion, went to work for Pixar and created his own cartoon series. Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario Brothers and Yugi Naka, the creator of Sonic the Hedgehog also played an important role in shaping my approach to game design. What I love about Miyamoto and Naka is that they take real-life passions like gardening and painting and re-create them in an artificial game world. So cool!

Be creative and play games! Sim Games allow kids to create clothes for characters, build a house and decorate it. Rock Band is also a fun game that kids can play alone or with friends.

Courses to Learn More about Your Field:

Art and math classes are important. If your school doesn't offer art classes, try a local arts organization like Salt Lake City's Spyhop.

Are there exciting things happening in your field that could involve children who will enter the field in 10-15 years?

Absolutely! Elementary age children have greater access to technology than previous generations. Kids joining the video game design industry in the next 10-15 years can expect to create dream-like realities, speech and face recognition and games that can be played anywhere, not just from home.

• Kelly helped create Toy Story 3, Cars 2 and Epic Mickey games.
• Video Games can help people recover from physical injuries by gaining motor skills and coordination.
• The Disney Studio where Kelly works is a fun environment with ping pong tables to play on during breaks.
• Kelly has a twin sister and he jokes that together they make one "normal" person.