Misc

Getting In The Games Industry

May 27, 2021 by Connor

An analysis of the games industry, the types of roles within, how you can get in and my potential place within it.

Industry Roles & My Career Interests

This section will cover the roles within the games industry I am interested in and my SWOT analysis and action plan to aid in my pursuit of getting this role.

My main goal is to work in Marketing for the games industry, with the long term goal to either integrate video game marketing as a service within my company, Elixir Digital (Elixir Digital, 2021) or to work as the CMO for a AAA company.

As someone who already had an interest in web design and marketing, I saw a clear need for improving the current marketing strategies within the games industry, hence my desire to move into that role.

Jobs that suit the role I am looking for include roles such as “DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER – 6 MONTH FTC” (Digital Marketing Manager – 6 Month FTC | GAME, 2021) which would act as a great way for me to gain industry-specific experience in a short span of time thanks to the fixed term contract.

SWOT Analysis

Based on the idea of working within marketing, this is my SWOT analysis:

Strengths

Web design
Marketing
Programming
Time Management
Communication Skills
Confidence

Opportunities

Marketing for the games industry
Run game studio
Self-sufficient Developer

Weaknesses

Industry-specific experience
Engine specific knowledge/experience
3D models & Animations

Threats

Shifts in marketing
Industry changes
Failure to evolve
Lack of industry-specific experience
COVID/Pandemics

Use Of Action Plan

My Action plan (Appendix 1) and SMART targets are based on the principle of being a fully self-sufficient designer who could create games from scratch since this would allow me to be a better marketer due to knowing the ins and outs of the industry as a whole and allow for easy migration to another role if the need/want arises.I will regularly review these targets to gauge progress and relevance.

Job Opportunities In the Industry

There are many methods of finding a job within the games industry, the fastest to get started with is checking out job sites, such as Indeed (Indeed.com, 2021), OPMJobs (OPMjobs, 2017), and Games Jobs Direct (gamesjobsdirect.com, 2021) where you can browse a large range of jobs looking for different skillsets and levels of experience.

There are other methods of finding a job, including networking at events such as ones listed on GamesIndustry.biz (GamesIndustry.biz, 2021), or via finding a recruitment agency that specialises in the games industry but these can want a cut off earnings from the employer.

How to apply specifically for the role depends on the role itself, the first stage will always be to analyse the brief they give you, most roles, such as this product marketing role (gamesjobsdirect.com, 2021) will break down the role into a few sections:

About the company
Job Purpose
Key Roles & Responsibilities
Required Skills
Oftentimes a “nice to have” section
Benefits for working there

Part of the listing is to always try to sell the job to you, while the rest is about checking how eligible you are for the role.

Indeed claims the interview process itself includes the “Screening, First interview, Second interview, Third interview, The decision” processes (Indeed Career Guide, 2021)

How Careers Develop

There are a lot of jobs within the games industry with very versatile room for growth and personal development.

(Bud, 2013)

Their career can evolve in a wide range of ways, mostly from experience or business need.

Starting a Career

The games industry is very high competition but a flexible industry to be in once you have a foothold, so having a base level of skill and a few USPs is essential! CGSpectrum suggests that you need to have the latest skillset and an active portfolio (Fredin, 2018) and Game Makers Toolkit suggests the same while also mentioning that University is important, partly for the knowledge but mostly for the degree and the networking opportunities it provides (Game Maker’s Toolkit, 2021).

How New Skills are Learnt

There are many ways to learn new skills, some mentioned above and some more which will be mentioned below.

One thing to keep in mind is the type of learner that you are under the VARK model (Ku.edu, 2021) and look for sources that accommodate that.

University is good as it allows you to learn through a mixture of learning types but alternatives exist, such as online learning provided by game engines such as Unreal Engine (Unreal Engine, 2019).

Soft/Transferrable skills work differently and are not specific to one field, and usually improve with practice and exposure (Cleverism, 2016). “Time Management”, “Communication Skills” and “Confidence” are examples of soft skills as outlined in my SWOT analysis.

Standing out with your USP

In such a high competition industry, having a USP (Unique Selling Point) is vital for getting your foot in the door, we can use the above writing and research to cover some important things that can help separate you from other potential candidates:

University Degree
Up to date knowledge on industry tools
Strong soft/transferrable skills
Portfolio showing high-quality work
Networking experience and relevant network of peers
Previous experience

Alternative Compensation

There are other ways of compensating employees which improve morale and the jobs perceived value to the employee.

According to Benefit News (Mayer, 2019), some of the most popular employee benefits are:

Paid family leave
Flexible/remote work options
Professional development
Sabbatical leave
Gym membership or onsite fitness centre
Student loan repayment

As an employee, you need to make sure you are getting the right salary for the right role, for example:

Game Designer – £29,263 / yr (Glassdoor, 2021)
Level Designer – £27,694 / yr (Glassdoor, 2021)
Concept Artist – £28,577 / yr (Glassdoor, 2021)
Character Artist – £27,318 / yr (Glassdoor, 2021)
AI Programmer – £34,370 / yr (Glassdoor, 2021)

Working for a Company VS Self Employment

While you will most likely initially consider working for a company, there are some benefits and drawbacks to working as an indie (self-employed) developer.

According to Game Industry Career Guide (Gameindustrycareerguide.com, 2016), these are some of the benefits and drawbacks of being a freelancer.

Benefits

Make more per hour compared to being employed
Much more flexibility in hours and schedule
Total freedom of the work you take on
Opens more opportunities for part-time gigs

Drawbacks

Would need to manage and pay your own taxes
Less job stability
Higher stress and potential warp in work/life balance

The State of indie development & Self Publishing

While still a challenge, I would argue that getting into the indie game development scene is easier than ever, with game engines such as Unreal Engine 4 being free and allowing developers to access a very powerful engine (Unreal Engine, 2019).

Getting games published for feedback is also easier than ever, with popular storefronts like itch.io (itch.io, 2021) allowing you to freely publish your game, with the added bonus of having extra visibility due to those games now being accessible on the Epic Games store (Diaz, 2021).

Setting up your own company

If you want to set up your own company, you essentially have 2 options, to be self-employed or to set up a limited company, the best person to tell you the right option for you would be an accountant, but these are some of the key differences to keep in mind, according to Ross Martin (Rossmartin.co.uk, 2021).

Self Employed	Limited Company
You are the business	The business is a separate entity that employs you
In legal disputes, you are directly responsible and your personal finance is at risk.	In legal disputes, the company is at risk and only company assets are affected as a rule.
You Pay tax on only your earnings	You pay corporation tax and also any normal employment tax
All profits are yours to use as you please	All profits are the companies and cannot be embezzled out.

To register a Limited company, you need to go through the process on Companies House (Www.gov.uk, 2021).

Small Business Toolbox also says that “Self employed sole trader keeps things simple, low profit, not focused on growth” while “limited company has projected higher profits, scalable for growth & potential sale of business” (Small Business Toolbox, 2020)

Alternative Career Routes

While working as a game developer or becoming a game development studio may seem the only ways to get into the industry, there are other methods, some of which have already been outlined above in this document.

Creating assets to sell on asset stores
Marketing for the games industry
Sound design
Working in retail outlets (like Game)
Teaching game development
Game publishing
Developing game hardware

Conclusion

Apart from finishing my degree, I aim to leverage networking and building a portfolio to aid in my goals of marketing within the games industry.

References

Bud (2013). Wallpaper – Game Studio Flow Chart – David Bud Leiser. [online] David Bud Leiser. Available at: http://www.budleiser.com/2013/12/25/wallpaper-game-studio-flow-chart/ [Accessed 29 Apr. 2021].

Diaz, A. (2021). Itch.io coming to Epic Games Store, along with other PC apps. [online] Polygon. Available at: https://www.polygon.com/22396021/itchio-epic-games-store-windows-pc-apps [Accessed 23 Apr. 2021].

Elixir Digital. (2021). Elixir Digital – Colchester Web Design Agency Building Bespoke Websites. [online] Available at: https://www.elixirdigital.co.uk/ [Accessed 22 Apr. 2021].

Fredin, N. (2018). 5 Tips to Get a Job in Game Design. [online] Cgspectrum.com. Available at: https://www.cgspectrum.com/blog/5-tips-to-get-a-job-in-game-design [Accessed 23 Apr. 2021].

Game Maker’s Toolkit (2021). How to Become a Game Designer. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMXf0e8n2Oc [Accessed 23 Apr. 2021].

Gameindustrycareerguide.com. (2016). Should I be a freelancer or employee in the game industry? [online] Available at: https://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/freelancer-or-employee-in-the-video-game-industry/ [Accessed 23 Apr. 2021].

GamesIndustry.biz. (2021). GamesIndustry.biz. [online] Available at: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/network/events [Accessed 22 Apr. 2021].

gamesjobsdirect.com (2021). GamesJobsDirect |. [online] Gamesjobsdirect.com. Available at: https://www.gamesjobsdirect.com/ [Accessed 22 Apr. 2021].

Glassdoor. (2021). Ai Programmer. [online] Available at: https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salaries/ai-programmer-salary-SRCH_KO0,13.htm?clickSource=searchBtn [Accessed 23 Apr. 2021].

Glassdoor. (2021). Character Artist. [online] Available at: https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salaries/character-artist-salary-SRCH_KO0,16.htm?clickSource=searchBtn [Accessed 23 Apr. 2021].

Glassdoor. (2021). Concept Artist. [online] Available at: https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salaries/concept-artist-salary-SRCH_KO0,14.htm?clickSource=searchBtn [Accessed 23 Apr. 2021].

Glassdoor. (2021). Game Designer. [online] Available at: https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salaries/game-designer-salary-SRCH_KO0,13.htm?clickSource=searchBtn [Accessed 23 Apr. 2021].

Glassdoor. (2021). Level Designer. [online] Available at: https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salaries/level-designer-salary-SRCH_KO0,14.htm?clickSource=searchBtn [Accessed 23 Apr. 2021].

Indeed Career Guide. (2021). The Steps of the Interview Process. [online] Available at: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/interview-steps [Accessed 29 Apr. 2021].

Indeed.com. (2021). Job Search | Indeed. [online] Available at: https://uk.indeed.com/ [Accessed 22 Apr. 2021].

Jobs.game.co.uk. 2021. Digital Marketing Manager – 6 Month FTC | GAME. [online] Available at: <https://jobs.game.co.uk/vacancy-details/3203> [Accessed 22 April 2021].

Ku.edu. (2021). 4 Different Learning Styles You Should Know: The VARK Model. [online] Available at: https://educationonline.ku.edu/community/4-different-learning-styles-to-know [Accessed 23 Apr. 2021].

Mayer, K. (2019). The 15 most popular employee perks. [online] Employee Benefit News. Available at: https://www.benefitnews.com/list/the-15-most-popular-employee-benefits [Accessed 23 Apr. 2021].

OPMjobs. (2017). Gamescom. [online] Available at: https://opmjobs.com/ [Accessed 22 Apr. 2021].

Rossmartin.co.uk. (2021). Sole trader v. limited company: Key tax & legal differences – RossMartin.co.uk. [online] Available at: https://www.rossmartin.co.uk/starting-in-business-77750/140-sole-trader-v-limited-company-key-tax-a-legal-differences [Accessed 23 Apr. 2021].

Unreal Engine. (2019). Unreal Engine | The most powerful real-time 3D creation platform. [online] Available at: https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/ [Accessed 23 Apr. 2021].

Unreal Engine. (2019). Unreal Online Learning. [online] Available at: https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/onlinelearning-courses [Accessed 23 Apr. 2021].

‌Cleverism. (2016). Ultimate Guide to Soft Skills. [online] Available at: https://www.cleverism.com/ultimate-guide-soft-skills/ [Accessed 23 Apr. 2021].

‌gamesjobsdirect.com (2021). GamesJobsDirect | Director, Product Marketing – Console/PC. [online] Gamesjobsdirect.com. Available at: https://www.gamesjobsdirect.com/details/director-product-marketing-consolepc/159826 [Accessed 22 Apr. 2021].

‌itch.io. (2021). Download the latest indie games. [online] Available at: https://itch.io/ [Accessed 23 Apr. 2021].

‌Small Business Toolbox (2020). Sole Trader vs Limited Company in the UK? YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdknG04MIDY [Accessed 29 Apr. 2021].

‌Unreal Engine. (2021). Marketplace – UE Marketplace. [online] Available at: https://www.unrealengine.com/marketplace/en-US/store?lang=en-US [Accessed 23 Apr. 2021].

‌Www.gov.uk. (2021). Set up a limited company: step by step. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/set-up-limited-company [Accessed 23 Apr. 2021].

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Appendix 1 – Action plan with smart targets

ID	Objective	Action	Means of measuring impact and achievement of the objective	Responsibility	Timescale	Progress To Date
1	Improve 3D Modelling skills	Create 3D models	Portfolio of high-quality 3D models + Graded feedback on relevant assignments		April 2022	Portfolio of 3D models with a few UV unwrap issues from where I used the “automatic” unwrap.
2	Improve Animation Skills	Create animations	Portfolio of high-quality 3D animations + Graded feedback on relevant assignments		April 2022	Portfolio of animations that loop well and follow animation principles but aren’t lifelike or realistic quality yet.
3	Improve Unreal Engine Knowledge	Use the engine	Portfolio of polished games + Graded feedback on relevant assignments		April 2022	In-progress game with a range of working mechanics.
4	Gain industry-specific insight	Research and networking	A stronger understanding of marketing within the games industry specifically, graded feedback on relevant assignments		April 2022	Networked contacts and some industry insight.
5.	Increase network of game developers	Networking and attending guest talks	Contact details of multiple people within the industry	HB (Booking guest talks)	April 2022	A small network of people who work in the industry.