Look inside the video game industry in 2024

The earliest video games date back to the early 1970s. The video game industry has grown from strength to strength over the years, despite being a rather niche market for many years. It is currently a global behemoth. We examine the state of the industry in great depth, as well as some of the special responsibilities that it plays.We’ll look at the size and development of the gaming business, as well as some of the prerequisite knowledge and reasons behind career choices.

The earliest video games date back to the early 1970s. The video game industry has grown from strength to strength over the years, despite being a rather niche market for many years. It is currently a global behemoth. We examine in-depth how the industry

The global game industry

Now let’s take a brief look at the current state of the global gaming industry. The video game industry has undergone tremendous transformation in the past couple decades, as one could expect given the advancements in technology.

What is it? 

Determining the scope of the game industry is an important step. From modest beginnings, video games have expanded to include handheld devices, virtual reality, mobile devices, arcade games, PCs, and more. The industry covers individuals who create and program games, and those who build, test and publish them.

As we’ll see, the game industry encompasses a wide range of professions and roles. Video games and consoles are sold all around the world, and the sector is home to some very large corporations. But with to technological advancements like crowdfunding and digital distribution networks, it’s now simpler than ever for independent developers to promote their brands and their games.

How big is the industry? 

The video game industry is very large. According to reports, the size of the global market in 2019 was estimated to be around $151 billion. In the upcoming years, it is anticipated to increase at an approximate annual rate of 12.9%, and by 2026, its worth is projected to be close to 296 billion.

The video gaming industry generates more cash than the combined music and film industries, according to these astounding figures. A large portion of this growth can be attributed to improvements in software and technology as well as increased accessibility to the internet.

According to data from 2019, mobile gaming dominates the market in terms of revenue. They brought in over $64.4 billion in revenue, which is more than free-to-play PC games, which brought in 21.1 billion.

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How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the game industry? 

Almost every industry has been impacted by COVID-19 in one way or another. The effects on video games have been inconsistent.

Lockdowns have, on the one hand, increased the amount of video games played by people. Gaming appears to be one of the primary types of entertainment that people are turning to as theaters and movie theaters close. For instance, during the first lockdown, game sales rose by 44%.

A few companies made particularly notable progress. Because of the demand for the Nintendo Switch during the initial stages of the coronavirus pandemic, Nintendo’s revenue rose by more than 400%. A significant amount of money was due to sales of the Animal Crossing video game, which was published on March 20, 2020.

COVID-19 hasn’t entirely had a good effect on the gaming business and those who work in it, though. Release dates for games and hardware have been delayed throughout the industry.

Due to the abrupt change toward remote employment, developers and gaming businesses were attempting to cooperate on cooperative projects with teams who were working from home. Employees on well-known video games like Cyberpunk 2077 were forced to labor in “crunch” conditions for months in order to receive

Similar to this, supply chain issues have made systems like the highly sought-after Nintendo Switch and the recently released PS5 difficult to locate.

What kinds of jobs are there in the industry?

The many things we’ve discussed thus far should have made it clear that there are a wide variety of career roles in the game industry. A variety of employment in the gaming industry can be found, even within the different niches.

It can be difficult to decide which of the several game job choices, with this much choice, would be best for you. We’ve selected a few examples from a variety of specializations to help you an overview of some of the occupations that are available:

Creative

These careers in the gaming business are centered upon topics like the visual aspects of games. This might be the place for you if you enjoy playing video games and have some artistic talent. As examples, consider:

• Game artist. This position primarily involves envisioning and picturing how a game will appear. You will produce 2D or 3D artwork for objects like as environments, textures, and characters. It’s a crucial position in the game industry, regardless of whether you’re designing for production or at the conceptual stage.
• Animator.  Animators are the ones that bring the elements that artists create to life in the game. Because you’ll need to use game engines and programming to add personality and emotion, this is as much a creative as a technical function.
• Writer.A writer for video games might work on various aspects of the game’s creation. Together with helping to build the story and the dialogue, you will also proofread and playtest your work before it is released.

Design

Jobs in video game design are also quite diverse. While some are more hands-on or technical, others concentrate on the general ideas behind games. If you have a passion for design, you may want to consider a career as a:

• Games designer. The main goal of game designers is to produce captivating ideas and gameplay elements for video games. Many other facets of the artistic and technological process will be covered, including the production of user interfaces, maps, and levels, as well as plot and character development.
• Video game system designer. This role is centred on the machinery that operate the games, whereas many of the other roles are about the games themselves. In this job, you will work with the engineering and electrical departments.
• Level designer. The goals and flow of video games are the key concerns of level designers. To make sure that levels are enjoyable, captivating, and just the appropriate amount of difficult, you’ll strive to fine-tune gameplay components.

Development

Video game development jobs frequently include combining concepts and efforts from many departments to create a functional game. As examples, consider:

• Game developer. In this position, your main responsibility will be to develop the ideas, narrative, and artwork provided by creative teams into a playable game.The code that powers games is written and improved by game developers, sometimes known as game programmers.
• Producer. The project managers and overseers of the game development cycle are similar to those who produce games. Working with publishers, managing budgets, and possibly overseeing the daily operations of a game production are all part of the job description for a producer.
• QA tester. Testers for game quality assurance (QA) look for bugs in games that are still in production. Working closely with the technical team, you’ll typically find issues or malfunctions in this role and report them in an organized way.

How do salaries compare? 

If working in the video game industry seems like a good fit for you, you probably want to know what kind of salary range you can anticipate. Naturally, there is a wide range in the pay that each role offers, considering how distinct they are from one another. It frequently relies on the business, role, and area you are looking to work in.

We’ve selected a variety of positions and their average yearly salary across multiple nations to provide some context for compensation in the gaming business. PayScale provides the data.

What skills do I need to enter the industry?

It might occasionally seem impossible to find employment in the video game industry. Gaming occupations are extremely competitive and in high demand, as one might anticipate. You’ll need to develop and be able to display a wide range of hard and soft talents in order to stand out to potential employers.

Naturally, the precise qualifications required for a position in the gaming sector will vary depending on the kind of position you’re looking for. Generally speaking, the given field will require a certain set of hard talents. Also, you’ll need to demonstrate a wide range of transferable and interpersonal skills.

We’ve selected some of the most prevalent hard and soft skills to concentrate on to give you an idea of the abilities you’ll need to work in the video game industry:

Hard skills 

This is the knowledge unique to your work that you will require to perform your duties. The specific hard skills will differ greatly, however having the following is usually helpful:

• Game development. Understanding the process is crucial whether or not you want to work as a game developer. Whatever your position, you must be aware of how it fits into the bigger picture.
• Programming knowledge. Once more, the degree to which your job requires this expertise will determine how important it is. Nonetheless, it will be helpful to comprehend programming concepts and languages like C++ and Java.
• Design skills.To venture into the more artistic realm of video games, honing your 2D and 3D design abilities will be beneficial.

Soft skills

Regardless of the particulars of your position, you are an excellent employee because of these transferable and interpersonal skills. They frequently hold equal importance to information particular to a role.

• Teamwork. As you have undoubtedly realized by now, a wide range of professionals are necessary to operate in the games sector. Being able to collaborate with a wide variety of professionals is crucial, regardless of the kind of position you want to pursue.
• Creativity. Video games are, at their core, artistic manifestations of concepts. It is quite desirable to have the ability to think creatively in order to generate new ideas and find solutions to issues.
• Communication. You will require the ability to confidently articulate yourself when collaborating with other teams or when sharing your thoughts. Effective communication is highly valued in the video game industry.

Why choose a career in video games?

There are a lot of reasons why you would desire to work in the video game industry. There are lots of options accessible if you love to create and play video games, especially if you have the necessary abilities. The following are some justifications for thinking about a career in the video game industry:

• You can work in something you love. Making your own games looks like the ideal endeavor if you’re an avid player. It can be quite fulfilling to work in an area you are truly interested in.
• It’s a thriving industry. As we’ve seen, the rise of the video game business is anticipated to continue in the upcoming years. For those with talent, there will be no shortage of jobs or possibilities.
• You can create something that helps people. If there’s one thing that the numerous lockdowns have taught us, it’s that video games can aid in escaping. In addition to being entertaining, games can also be instructive and emotionally engaging. Working with such a medium to create art can be fulfilling.
• You can develop a wide range of skills.In a career in the games industry, you will collaborate with a wide variety of experts. As a result, you will be able to work across a variety of areas and gain knowledge from a wide range of professionals.

How to get into the games industry 

Assuming you have read this far, you are undoubtedly excited to begin your career in the video game industry. However, how can one find employment in the video game industry? That actually depends on the kind of position you’re looking for as well as your present skill and experience level.

The gaming industry, like many others of its kind, need a combination of training, experience, and expertise. The following are some areas you may wish to begin with:

• Education.Getting credentials that are accepted by the business will help you advance in the gaming sector. These will, of course, vary depending on the positions you wish to apply for. For highly technical professions, a computer science qualification, for instance, could be a good place to start.
• Training. Apprenticeships in the gaming industry, for example, can be a good method to obtain experience and training in the workplace. These kinds of apprenticeships are provided by a lot of big game producers, albeit admission to them can be tough.
• Experience. You should start developing your talents as soon as possible if you want to work in the video game production industry. Creating minigames, games, mods, and other gaming assets can assist you in building a portfolio of your work, whether you do it as a side project or in an organized setting.
• Networking. The gaming industry is frequently a small-scale one. Increasing your visibility and making the correct connections can help you become more well-known. Make an effort to network with as many individuals as you can through forums, conferences, or expos.

Our online course, “How To Start Your Career In Games Development,” is a great place to start if you’re interested in learning more about what it takes to work in the field.

Final thoughts 

This brings an end to our investigation of the video game industry and everything it has to offer. Evidently, there are many different work prospects within this expansive and diverse industry. If games are your passion, you could discover that working in the games industry is an exciting and fulfilling career. You can begin advancing toward your ideal position if you have the necessary training, expertise, and experience.