The Games industry is a rapidly expanding employment sector with many different types of opportunities.
The UK games industry employs around 10,000 people and there are around 2000 games companies in the UK
There are many different types of jobs available:
Games Designers develop the concept and the story and the user experience
Game Programmers are involved with AI (Artificial Engineering), User interface and tool development and in-game physics
Game Artists can be concept artists designing the overall look of the game or 3D artists who model everything and add colour and detail
Games Writers write the overall story and the dialogue of the characters, as well as auditioning and coaching the voice actors
Audio Engineers create the Games soundtrack which includes background noises as well as the music
Animators create every character and creature in a game, designing everything from facial expressions to complex moving scenes
Producers manage the budget and timescales and promote the game to the media
HOW TO GET INTO THE INDUSTRY
Although there are no specified qualifications most people will have a university degree linked to the area of game design they want to study. E.g. Designers will usually have a games design or computing degree, artists tend to have an art based degree such as graphic design and writers may have a journalism or English background. An interest in and experience of the game industry is of course really important.
HOW TO FIND OUT MORE
Lots of information on all careers in the creative sector, including games careers
www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk
For information on all careers with useful links to further websites
Thanks to Gabrielle Kent from Teeside University for some of this information, gained from her very useful presentation at the recent National Careers Guidance show in London
Image courtesy of KROMKRATHOG at FreeDigitalPhotos.net