Gaming is a phenomenon that has been present for many generations. The devices have since evolved from when gaming first began, some becoming sleeker with cleaner lines, others packing a lot of power in a compact device. Along with technological advancement in devices, the industry expanded, establishing new avenues for creatives to work within, from game design, animation, right to the graphics in the games. The beauty of this growth is that it is enough to cover all age groups across all areas of interest.
If you love playing games or you always wonder how the characters are made or you are keen to know how the fascinating online casino games like those provided by Unibet work, consider these career pathways for more insight into the gaming industry.
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Games Designer
Think of this job as the storytelling of gaming. Your biggest asset here, outside of being adequately educated for the role, will be your in-depth knowledge of games. You will need to be an individual who has played a whole lot of games across the board and has a thorough understanding of them. This role requires you to come up with themes, storylines, characters, concepts and cohesive gameplay for the game. If you have the ability to code the game too, that would be advantageous. A passion for gaming would go a really long way in exploring this career path.
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Games Animator/Artist
These guys are the ones who bring the game to life. For this job, you need to be artistic and articulate in bringing the games designer’s vision to life. You would be the person who draws characters, landscapes and other tangible pieces in the game that make it as realistic as possible. There are programmes you can use to this end like Autodesk Maya to make this happen. The Animator/Artist’s job is very important because a user’s first experience of the game is visual, how well this is executed determines the overall success of the game and the animator/artist’s influence in the industry. Again, a basic qualification is necessary as this portion of work is one of the hardest to get into.
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Games Audio Engineer
As their name suggests, these guys are responsible for the sound that immerses you into a game. From creating new sounds to suit the specifications of the game to searching through libraries for voice-overs or music, audio engineers create the ambience that reels you in and keeps you in the game. They also come up with the voices of characters of the game that we become familiar with. Specialised software is available for the creation of new sounds whereas existing sounds are used to fit in where they are needed.
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Games Programmer
This is one of the most technical roles in the gaming industry. Programmers are the people who make sure that the game is coded properly using the appropriate coding language like C++ or Java so that it can be played on any device without any glitches. On top of being very technical, this job is also very difficult and requires a lot of patience, focus and hard work. The programmers are responsible for implementing game features, optimizing the game’s performance and translating the player’s actions into the game’s results.
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Games Tester/ Quality Assurance Tester
Now while this may sound like every gamer’s dream, it is not as simple as it seems. You would be responsible for testing the games at their very elementary stages to determine what works and does not. You will also need to find bugs and generally test the interface of the game and its playability at every level of its production. Quality Assurance means you will have to be very critical of every aspect of the game, you will be the last line of defence before it is released to the public for retail purposes. It is a very important job whose contribution cannot be expressed enough. If you enjoy problem-solving, this one’s for you.
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Games Analyst
To be an analyst, you need to be interrogative, catching all aspects of the game, and able to break-down events within the game. You will be like a coach to the players; examining their strengths and weaknesses, thus helping them to play better. You will also be responsible for their physical and mental training. Game analysts also need gaming experience in order to assist with players’ strategies to winning tournaments.
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Games Shoutcaster
Many gamers consider being a shoutcaster after they’ve retired from gaming. Much like being a football commentator, being a shoutcaster also involves play-by-play commentary, describing the game to keep the audience entertained. This job requires vast knowledge of the gaming industry and not just the particular game itself.
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Games Event Organiser
If you have exceptional organisational skills, this job is for you. Not necessarily requiring gaming experience, this job needs you to at least understand the world of gamers so that you can put together a convention, eSports tournament, or any event that brings together gaming communities to celebrate their favourite occupation/hobby.
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Video Games Streamer
Video game streaming allows you to broadcast a game that you are playing on different specialised platforms, entertaining those who follow your stream. To keep people engaged, you will need a bit of witty humour or have a mad-skill type of play.
The beauty about being a streamer is that you can get sponsors for your channel, as long as you have a grand following that will benefit the brands that’ll advertise through you. As long as you keep in tune with the community that follows you, and you deliver their desires, you will become an entertaining marvel and build your way to a six-figure income.
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Games Translator
If you are multilingual, this would be a great opportunity for you. Moreso, if you have some sort of language qualification backing your ability to read and write in a different language other than English. You will have an even greater advantage if you are a local or studied the language in the country it’s native. Your job will be to customise games to suit the particular language’s audience.
There are a lot more careers in the gaming industry, our list is not exhaustive but serves to open your mind to the different roles you could play if working in gaming is of interest to you. All the best!