If you’ve lost your job due to the pandemic and are willing to learn and retrain in a new field, the gaming industry is one place where you can almost definitely find work. The industry is growing at breakneck speed, so not only can you play live games, but you can also help create them.
There has been a 20% surge in employment vacancies in the last year alone. In the next five years, the sector is expected to triple in size. In the previous five years, the gaming business has, directly and indirectly, employed 47,000 people in adjacent industries, including merchandising and eSports.
The introduction of new gaming products and the mainstreaming of competitive gaming are two further factors driving the gaming industry’s growth. In the gaming industry, there is a wide range of work opportunities. Demand for game developers/programmers has grown the most, by 91.3 percent year over year. Audio/visual designers (74.5%), artists (58.9%), and user experience designers/developers (53.6%) are among the other jobs that have shown a solid year-over-year increase and are in great demand in the sector.
According to research by the video gaming sector’s trade group, over half of the UK gaming industry is based outside of the Southeast and London. Furthermore, gaming generates about £1.3 billion in direct revenue for the UK economy. Since the early 1970s, video games have been around. Despite being a relatively specialised business for many years, the video game industry has evolved into a global powerhouse that continues to grow.
It’s essential to define what the game industry entails. Video games have evolved from their basic origins to include personal computers, consoles, arcade games, mobile devices, virtual reality, handhelds, and more. Those who design and programme games, as well as those who develop, test, and publish them, are all part of the industry.
As we’ll see, there are numerous professions in the game industry that span a wide range of disciplines. Large corporations dominate the business, and video games and consoles are sold worldwide. However, because of advancements in technology such as digital distribution networks and crowdsourcing, indie developers can now reach a wider audience than ever before.
So, what roles are out there?
Games Designer – Are you bursting at the seams with video game concepts? If so, a career as a video game designer might be right for you. First, you’ll come up with the ideas that will eventually become video games in this position. Next, you’ll create the plots and characters, then collaborate with a creative team of designers and developers to bring your game to life during the game development process. Because game creation is increasingly complicated, a certified Games Art and Design education is required to pursue this vocation.
Audio Engineer – Have you ever considered what goes into the sound of a game? This is where the audio engineer enters the picture. Everything you hear in a game is created with computers and electrical sound equipment, from sound effects to ambient noise, background music, and voice-overs. Because sound has become such an essential element of the gaming experience, becoming an audio engineer could be the ideal gaming career if you enjoy creating the perfect atmosphere.
Games Artist – A career as a games artist could be ideal if you have an artistic side. In your work as a games artist, you’ll use your innovative and creative skills to produce all visual components, such as characters, scenery, and surface textures, whether you’re trying to make a game look as realistic as possible or striving for a more stylised look.
Games Tester – Now it’s time to play some games! Unfortunately, due to a strong emphasis on quality assurance, it is not as straightforward as it appears. First, game testers walk through the game to ensure that it works correctly, and that the game’s instructions and documentation are clear. Then, they search the system for flaws and problems and submit their findings to the designers and engineers. If you enjoy problem solving and games, this is an excellent career for you!
Professional Gamer – The Promised Land, oh, the Promised Land! Isn’t it incredible that you could make a living playing video game?! Of course, you must be exceptionally gifted and dedicate a significant amount of time each day to practise, but that is true of anything, right? A gamer’s compensation will undoubtedly vary depending on their level of expertise. Professional gamers, like professional athletes, receive money via sponsored tournaments and personal sponsorships. It can be a brief career. Many professional gamers go into game art and design or programming and development once they leave the industry.
Getting a job in the video game industry might be challenging at times, though it is still growing so quickly. Games jobs, as you might guess, are in high demand and competitive. As a result, you’ll need to acquire and display a wide range of hard and soft abilities to attract potential employers.
The specific talents you’ll need to develop a career in the games business will, of course, vary depending on the roles you’re applying for. In most cases, you’ll require a particular set of hard talents connected to the field. You’ll also have to demonstrate a wide range of interpersonal and transferable abilities.