Other jobs in gaming

Outside of the Esports space, the $100bn video games industry has a wealth of career opportunities available…

If you’re interested in working within the games industry, there are many different job roles on offer.

From developer to publisher, sales, marketing, quality assurance and everything in-between, here’s a quick look at some of the jobs out there.

Game design

This is arguably one of the most creative roles in the games industry. Working at a developer can be extremely exciting and rewarding, but it can also require a lot of hard work, especially as the team reaches ‘crunch’ period (finishing the game in a short space of time, ready for its launch date).

There are many different jobs available at a developer, from environment/character designer to animation, sound and music, programming and more.

As these are specialist – and competitive – roles, it can be a good idea to get a degree in games design or computer animation.

Publishing and supplying

Publishers are companies like EA, Activision and Ubisoft, who will invest in a game, make sure it has a strong marketing campaign and sell it around the world.

There are many positions available at a publisher, including various management roles, PR, marketing, sales, HR and more. We’ve outlined some of those roles below.

As well as digital downloads, publishers also work with distributors to ship games, systems and accessories to retail stores.

Testing

This is a typically an entry-level position in the games industry and a good way to get your foot in the door.

Games testers are responsible for identifying bugs and ensuring the game plays as intended, ahead of release.

It’s a good entry point, as testers can earn promotions to become QA (quality assurance) managers, marketers or developers.

Localisation

Localisation is the act of translating a game into another language. It’s often much more than just that though, as publishers might want certain aspects of the game altered slightly for different territories around the world. Artwork and slogans might change, for example.

Localisation companies will need to ensure the feel of the game is left intact and for the translated words to make perfect sense in another language. There is a real art to this role and it is not as easy as it seems.

HR/recruitment

As there are so many jobs in the games industry, HR and recruitment is another important field.

An internal human resources (HR) department will often tend to employee concerns, outline employee benefits, ensure the business is abiding by laws and standards and handle recruitment and dismissals.

There are also many external recruitment agencies that help companies find employees with a particular skillset, and likewise, help job seekers find the right business and role for them.

PR, sales & marketing

Like many other sectors, public relations (PR), sales and marketing is very important in the games industry.

PR executives will work with journalists and influencers to secure positive and high-profile coverage for their brand, while marketing executives may be responsible for maintaining a budget, placing advertisements and growing awareness for a particular game.

Some executives will look after both PR and marketing within their company. There are also external PR/marketing agencies that can look after several different brands.

Sales executives might be responsible for the level of sales a game hits, and establishing relationships with retailers and distributors.

How to get a career in gaming and esports – read our advice to help get your foot in the door here.

Image source: Freeimages.com/Rick Tolboom

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