Gaming is the process of playing games using the electronic gadgets like Laptop, Personal Computer, Mobile Phones, Tablets, Playstations, and Xbox etc. Computer games have become one of the largest segments of the entertainment industry. Most people consider gaming as a hobby but it is more than that, you can make these virtual games as your career and achieve success in the profession. With the growth of technology, the gaming sector also growing with new techniques. There is a huge difference between 70’s games and current games. The game designing is the combination of the art and the science. The gaming industry is one of the highly paid professions. The pay scale of every occupation of this field depends upon the capability of person that how well he develops the program.
Career Opportunities in the Gaming Industry
There are numerous occupations available in the gaming sector from which you can choose your desired field of work.
- Game Developer: The game developers create games for the computers and for other platforms. They are responsible for the various stages of the game’s creation. The main focusing target of the game developer is on a particular area of programmings like network, graphics, artificial intelligence and engine. They are mainly software developers and their major task is to make and design the games, rules and gameplay. In a senior position, sometimes you have to execute the projects from concept to marketing. For becoming a game developer, a bachelor’s degree in software engineering, computer science or equivalent needed. The starting average salary of a game developer is around Rs.4,00,000 per year.
- Game Designer: The key role of a game designer is to plan what a game consists of and how it plays. A game designer plan and describe the all elements of the game like character, objects in the games, places etc. They have to decide how to use the defined elements properly and make the game to the best level within the certain time and budget. The game designers are generally employed by the development studios and they work both independent and publisher-owned. The game designing process is handled by the number of people and overseen by the lead designer. This work is totally depending on the teamwork, so the skill of working in a team is must in a game designer. A game designer is able to communicate and express his views to the programmers, producers, artists and to other members who are involved in the game development. Moreover, good drawing and basic virtual design skills must be there in a game designer. A bachelor’s degree is needed in the video game design or a related field for this profession. The yearly salary package for a game designer is around Rs.5,00,000.
- Game Artist: As the name of the designation reveals the job description itself. The look of a game plays a key role in the success of a game, so does the game artist. A game artist is a person who creates the art for the games. The game artists make the visuals for the games like places, sceneries, objects, characters etc. All these things create the look as well as feel for a game and make the gameplay more realistic. They use the various computer programs to create these sceneries, places, objects. They push the creative game projects from concept to the final execution. Besides this, they may also have to do artwork for the promotional materials, websites and packages. Game artists work under the supervision of a lead artist and responsible for the creating the specific art assets within a game. A formal training in the art, game design or equivalent is requisite for this profession. In India, the annual salary of a game artist is nearly Rs.4,80,000.
- Game Programmer: A game programmer is actually a professional person who creates the codes that enable the game to run. They take the vision of the game from the designers and bring it into life by putting the computer codes. They make the game run properly and smoothly without crashing or glitches. They have to develop games for PCs as well as for other consoles like Playstations, Xbox etc. so they must have advance knowledge of all these platforms. A programmer should have an excellent grip over the languages like C++, C, Java etc. Also, he should be an expert in one or more programming specialities, for example, Artificial Intelligence, 3D Animation, 3D Rendering, Multiplayer/Networking etc. For becoming a game programmer, you have to complete a bachelor’s degree in computer science, game technology or a related field. Moreover, the annual salary package of a game programmer in India is approximately Rs.6,50,000.
- Network Programmer: The network programmers are the people who are behind the technical stuff of any online multiplayer game. They need not only the knowledge of game programming but also detailed knowledge of the networking. It is the hardest programming in the game development. The network programs have three main responsibilities, first is using the required tricks to reduce the latency which is the speed of the electricity in a wire, second one is helping the other involved people in game development to easily work with those latency tricks and the last one is implementing a complete game server which is purely different from the client development of the most games. As more and more games use the internet facility for various different purposes due which the demand of network programmers goes on increasing. Like all other relevant professions, this profession also requires a bachelor’s degree in computer science or equivalent. The annual salary of a network programmer in India is around Rs.4,50,000.
- Game/Script Writers: The game writers are the people who write the script for the games. A great story is an integral part of creating an exciting gameplay. There are varieties of things done by the game writer but the most visible job of a scriptwriter is witting the dialogues between the characters of the game, these dialogues bring the game to life as well as it also relays the important information to the player. You have to work with the entire game developing team because you are involved in the entire process so you have to understand the entire process how it works for making the game realistic. A scriptwriter may work for the developer on a contract basis or as a permanent employee. An education in the creative story writing is required for this occupation. The annual salary package of the scriptwriter in the gaming industry is around Rs.3,00,000.
- Audio/Sound Engineers: The audio engineers create the audio tracks, background music, sound effects, and character voices for the games. These sound effects are vital to the overall experience for players. The overall game experience relies upon the sound engineer’s ability. Every game has a unique concept, so it is the responsibility of a sound engineer to understand the concept and work on the required effects. They have to develop soundtracks such that it fully supports the game actions. Most of the audio jobs in the gaming industry are done on the contracts but you also get the permanent job if you are skilled enough. Clearly, the sound engineers should have proper knowledge of the sound equipment, techniques and the software that are needed to produce sound effects. A bachelor’s degree in sound engineering is required to become an audio engineer in the gaming industry and the annual income from this occupation in India is around Rs.3,68,000.
- Game Testers: The responsibility of a game tester is to find out the problems faced while playing the game and report to the development team about the glitches. If there is any problem in gameplay, the game tester is completely responsible for finding it out. The problems faced in gameplay are due to the software issue. Software problems can be serious issues so it is important to find out the difficulties early in the development stages before the game goes publically. This means game tester has to try the same operations in different situations. Moreover, the hardware connected to play the game is also required to test whether they are working properly with the game like controller; all the possible button combinations of the controller are subjected to tested by the game tester. Whenever the tester finds out any bug or problem he has to complete a report and handover to the developer. A bachelor’s degree in software development or a related field is required to become a game tester. The starting average salary of a game tester in India is around Rs.2,50,000.
- Game Project Manager: The management of this industry is similar to the other production management which consists of technical directors, project managers, game producers, art director etc. The game producer ensures that every task will be done on time and on the budget. Also, he should be aware of everyone’s task. The producer oversees the development process and the delivery. The main key role of a manager or producer is to manage the funds and other resources which are needed for the development and also control the co-ordinate the work of the production team. As managing is a big role because game production is a highly complex process which often goes up to 2 years and the required number of people for different purposes. You will have proven skills in the use of project management software such as Microsoft Project. The income of a game project manager depends upon the projects undertaken.
There is no easy path to get into the gaming industry. This industry is full of hardcore and professionalism. Your skills decide how much you will earn in this industry. A complete knowledge of the field will make you a successful person in this industry.
