The gaming industry in the UK is worth an estimated £3.9bn and is constantly undergoing periods of evolution and that trends looks set to continue in the coming years. Whether it’s the growth of the mobile gaming market or the development of innovative gaming devices and technologies such as virtual or augmented reality, the future looks more exciting than ever before. As with any other industry boom, the economy looks set to reap the rewards and there has been an almighty surge in the creation of new jobs and positions within the industry over the last few years.
Careers in gaming are now more relevant than ever before as finally the sector becomes more and more recognised as a significant area of entertainment. New age broadcasting services such as Twitch.tv and worldwide eSports events have helped open the doors to a bigger and wider audience of gaming fans. This in turn has helped avid gamers find a new path for their much loved hobby or pastime and many are now becoming professional gamers, competing in competitions on a regular basis that offer massive cash pay-outs.
Professional gaming has become the ambition for many skilled gamers out there but the competition is fierce and reaching those dizzying heights of the pro gaming world is challenging. If you don’t have the time or dedication it takes to commit to the disciplinethen a paid professional role may be a little too difficult to grasp. But of course there are other careers beyond gaming that the industry are keen to promote.
Game designers have thrived in recent times thanks to the aforementioned evolution and rise in mobile- based gaming. Technology has helped smartphones and tablets evolve at a startling rate and now a whole new jobs market in budgeted game designers, as well as independent developers, has spawned. Budding developers are now given the opportunity and platform to create and share their creations more easily with the world.
Online gaming has also helped expand traditional gaming into other areas allowing for more game-related jobs to come to fruition. Take the iGaming market for example. There has been a major recruitment drive by many of the leading casino operators, desperate to try and attract the best up and coming designers to help give them the edge in an ultra-competitive market. Market leaders, like Ladbrokes mobile, are offering major incentives to hire the best talent. Once the staple of the vastly experienced, young hopefuls are finally been given a chance.
There are already a number of accredited design and development courses available at some of the country’s leading educational institutes but surely it won’t be long until we see student enrolling in ‘Gaming’ degrees. The future looks bright for the career prospects of many game lovers and the industry, too.