In this post I would like to talk about the growing gaming industry and the different aspects about getting employment in the area of work. I am very passionate about gaming myself and felt I learned a few interesting things from researching this. I hope you all enjoy and please don't be afraid to leave any feedback
What do companies in the sector do? Well companies in the games design industry provide leisure and pleasure to millions of us gamers across the world. They provide us with hours of enjoyment with the games they produce as gaming is a big pastime for many of us. They also provide lots of jobs to a lot of people as there is so many people involved in making games all with different roles.
Are there many in Ireland? Yes there is quite a good few gaming companies in Ireland such as DIGIT Game Studios along with many more. There is no big player game companies in Ireland such as EA, or Activision, but the gaming industry is growing more and more in Ireland. But for the big name companies you would have to go to America to see these.
Is the Sector Growing? Yes the gaming industry is growing more and more by the day, and with the introduction of devices like VR ( Virtual Reality ) it is getting bigger by the day. Just to show you how big the sector is already is. Ireland spends approximately 240€ on gaming each year, and that is a small market compared with the likes of Canada or the USA. The gaming industry is huge and is growing more and more each day. It is probably one of the most lucrative sectors of entertainment right now.
( The Journal )
Opportunities in Computer Games Design:
Jobs: The games design process is very difficult to complete solo, so for that reason, most companies assemble a team of people to work with each other to complete the process easier and quicker. There are 8 roles that all do their part and work closely with each other.
The 8 roles are:
- Programmer
- Concept Artist
- Level Editor
- Producer
- Audio Engineer
- Animator
- Script Writer
- QA tester
For example the QA ( Quality Assurance Tester ) will play the game to see that it is bug free and ready to be put out on the market. They work very closely with the Programmers as if they come across a glitch or bug they must alert the Programmers and then the Programmers must go and fix the problem
Another Example is the Animators, They are responsible for providing the characters with movement and expressions and giving life to the game characters, vehicles, creatures etc.
And my final example is the Script Writers, their job is to come up with the narrative and dialogue or the intro , cut and end scenes and in game dialogue. They give a good storyline to the game and also provide the characters with different personalities based on what they say.
Is It a Good Career Choice? It is a very good career choice. People who are passionate about gaming it will make it easier but even people who are not gamers at all do very well in the industry. The industry is a big business , one of the largest in the world and is very lucrative. There is excellent job prospects and good salaries. It is a competitive industry yes but it is so big and is growing so fast employment is well needed. There is something for everyone in this industry, if you’re an artistic person then a concept artist would be a great option or if you’re a person whos good with numbers and programming then obviosuly enough a programmer would be a great job for you. There is such a wide variety of jobs that all pay well and lots of employment in I would say it is a great industry to get into. It is not just for men either there are many women in the industry now and they make up around 11% of the workforce now.
Qualifications: To get a job in the industry there are two steps.
The First Step is very simple and that is to graduate from secondary/ high school.
The Second step has two options: the first way is to go to college and graduate with a degree in computer graphics, arts or something related such as Animation , the second option is to build a strong portfolio of work through on the job training.
They are the educational needs to get a career in computer games, then you just need the mental needs such as drive and motivation.
Challenges in the Gaming Industry:
Challenges for graduates:
Although it is a very good career choice there will obviously be some challenges in getting into the industry.
The government are encouraging people to get jobs in I.T, as more and more things nowadays are being computerized. So there was been a big increase in people studying I.T courses. This is good because there is a lot of employment in it and people are been educated but there's also the fact that a lot of these people are competing for the same jobs and it makes it more difficult for people to get jobs. They will have to have the necessary needs to get the job but then they will need something that makes them stand out from the next person and show why they should be employed instead of someone else
Computer programmes are constantly being updated and newer versions released etc. So this provides the challenge for constant need to educate yourself to the new layout or functions of the programme. One year you may design something one way but if the programme updates that may require you to learn a whole different way to do something that you have been so used to doing for a long time. It provides the challenge to constanly be able to develop and educate yourself further.
Another big challenge for students hoping to secure employment in the computer games industry is the fact that large gaming companies are based mostly abroad. Such as EA and Activision with their main offices in the U.S. So this provides the challenge that a lot of students to secure employment may have to travel abroad which leads to other challenges such as VISA's , accommodation etc.
Challenges in the Industry:
Cost: The price of gaming nowadays may put a lot of people getting involved with it. It is an expensive hobby and only seems to get more and more expensive, like for a next gen game people in ireland are paying up on 75€ just for the game itself, the console itself can be up on 400€, it is an expensive hobby and people will take this into consideration.
Isolation: The industry has a problem here. A lot of people especially the older generation have the impression that gamers are anti-social and that gaming puts them into isolation and takes away from their social life. To counteract this the industry must promote multi-player games and show that they can allow gamers to mix and communicate well with their friends and are not in isolation.
Competition: The market is getting more and more competitive each year. Game companies are competing with each other for players and sales. One of the biggest rivalries is between Call of Duty and Battlefield, both are first person shooter games with massive fan bases, both games have been competing with each other for years and have even gone so far as to slander each other over social media.
