What Jobs Are Available in the Gaming Industry?

Gaming was once a niche hobby enjoyed by a small subset of society in the most developed nations. The high cost of consoles made them unobtainable to the vast majority of people.

Over time, that has changed, and today around half of the world’s population is believed to play games on a semi-regular basis. if you are thinking about the next step in your career, gaming may be a good option for you.

With so many of us enjoying this interactive medium, the demand for jobs in the companies that help to make gaming possible has grown larger and larger.

If you don’t already work in it, you may be surprised at just how many different options there actually are in the gaming industry. The reach that the sector has is vast, which means you could find a career in gaming with pretty much any educational background or specialism.

Developer

Video game developer is perhaps the most obvious job in the industry. They are the people that help to build the content that we play on our computers, phones, and consoles. They typically have strong backgrounds in coding and a creative flair.

Developers can work alone or as part of much larger teams. Those that like to have full control of their work can set themselves up as an independent (or “indie”) developer where they can create whatever types of games they want.

Alternatively, those that would rather put their efforts into something that is much bigger can join a larger video game developer. Some of the biggest players in this market include Sony Computer Entertainment, Nintendo, Mojang, Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard, and Rockstar Games. These companies typically have offices dotted all over the world, so you’ll likely find one that’s close to you.

Online casinos also need developers. Their teams are continually developing new video slots to add to their already large libraries. The biggest brands often offer their customers their own exclusive titles such as Tomb of Ra, Pirates Hold, and Diamond Stars, and hire sizable numbers of developers to create them. 

Tester

Even the most skilled programmers aren’t perfect. This means that their creations often have bugs that need to be ironed out before they can be released to the public. Once games are created, teams of testers spend hours going through systematic lists of checks to identify any problems and then report them to the developers.

Games testing has one of the lowest barriers to entry in the industry, but don’t expect to just be playing video games all day. You’ll have lists of tests that you’ll need to run through and this won’t be the same as doing whatever you want while playing a game at home.

It is similar to other QA roles but is particularly attractive if you also have an interest in gaming.

Marketing

Since video games like Grand Theft Auto and Fortnite have such large followings, you might think that they don’t need to be promoted. However, this is far from the case. In 2022, Take-Two, the publisher of the GTA series, expects to spend $40.9 million on marketing and in 2024, it plans to spend $35.5 million.

But the company has told its investors that, in 2023, it has budgeted $89.2 million for marketing activities – nearly double its usual spend. Most analysts put this down to the company’s plans to launch GTA VI, suggesting the marketing for that game alone will cost around $40-50 million.

To help create the campaigns that will use up that budget, Take-Two needs a huge team of marketers. They will cover everything from digital marketing like PPC and SEO to traditional channels like television and billboard advertising. They’ll also need a bunch of managers and strategists to give direction to the team so that it can get the most from its spending.

Player

If you don’t fancy being a tester but would still like to earn a living from playing video games, then two other career options may interest you.

Esports athletes are professional video game players that compete in events that are broadcast to fans in a similar way to traditional sports. Players make their living from a number of sources, including prize money, sponsorship, and endorsement deals.

If that’s not up your street, then you could consider becoming a video game streamer. These are entertainers that broadcast their video gaming sessions over the internet on sites like YouTube and Twitch. They’ll interact with their audience, answer questions, and even take direction from viewers.

Streamers make their money from ad revenue, sponsorships deals, merchandise sales, and donations from their fans.

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