If you think that you can only be successful in the gaming industry as a programmer or designer, you are wrong. Today you will learn about professions that are useful in the video game industry as well as experts in programming languages.
The millennial generation does not fit the standard set of professions. They do not plan to sit in stuffy offices, “turn the screws” in factories and the like. This is especially true for gamers who want to connect their lives with games. Mostly they go to programmers, but is this really the only way to get into the industry?
Fortunately, most creative and technical professions are useful to the industry. Today we’ll talk about the most interesting ways to connect your life with video games.
Journalism
Let’s start with the patient method. Journalism is an ancient profession, but not so long ago in the gaming field. Even my colleagues in the shop, when they hear “game journalism,” smile maliciously. In the CIS, this area is poorly developed, but beyond the hillock and the ocean, things are much better. It’s also a great way to turn your hobby into a full-time job.
But you must understand that millions do not threaten you. Journalism is, in principle, not a profitable occupation, except for a couple of points that spoil the craft. You are required to know the letters, and the ability to make sentences with meaning. The rest is practice and patience.
The work of a journalist is rated well, but it all depends on the publication. On job search sites, the average rate is $ 300 – $ 400. Basically, this is remote work with a free schedule, which is perfect for a student.
Screenwriter
If your imagination does not fit into a journalistic text, then we look towards script art. A good story in games is cool, and talented writers are appreciated. But, as in any business, there is a lot of risk here due to the great competition, and there is nothing for fans of fame to do here. Usually, several screenwriters work on the plot of the game, whose names are lost in the credits.
However, there is one catch. Universities and books teach how to write screenplays, but games need a different approach. The writer must adapt the plot to the gameplay, and link the story to the gameplay. As Scott Rogers wrote in Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design: “Every part of the story should be about gameplay.” So when you study screenwriting, flip through a couple of books on game design.
Typically, screenwriters are hired for individual projects and are paid on a fee basis. But big studios want to keep talent to themselves and use it when they need it. For such lucky ones, they offer a salary from $ 570 to $ 1000.
Artists and musicians
Video games are one of the forms of contemporary art. If you go deeper, then this is its highest form. To create a great game, you need to manage your music, graphics, motion picture art, and screenwriting. Artists and musicians hit the same spot because they are creators. These people collect images in their heads, forming something beautiful. Professionals in their field will be indispensable in the gaming industry.
Let’s take today’s benchmark RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. CD Project managed to correctly combine graphics and music to create an atmosphere. It is thanks to the artists that the monsters in Geralt’s world are so creepy. Musicians or sound designers made battles with critters feel epic and intense. Musicians and artists will always walk side by side in the gaming industry, and it’s hard to create a good project without them.
Creative professions are also appreciated. Studios are willing to pay professionals an average of $ 1,200 for good tracks or atmospheric locations.
Actors
It is difficult to imagine a modern large project without actors. If earlier characters were drawn from polygons, now the developers use motion capture. Actors don’t just make the characters move, but give them their emotions and voice.
Take the same Troy Baker, who starred in a couple of films during his career, but his merits in the gaming industry can hardly be underestimated. Batman, Joker, Joel, Talion – these are just a small part of the characters to whom he gave charisma and emotions. Why don’t you be the next Troy Baker.
If you heard “I believe” at the audition, then you will be appreciated. Young actors are paid from $ 100 per shooting day, and experienced ones get from $ 1000 for shooting.
Mathematician
Let’s move from creative professions to more pragmatic and technical ones. Mathematicians are people without whom even the simplest arcade game can not do. They are responsible for the game balance, on which the gameplay depends. Game economy, calculation of player indicators, weapon damage and so on.
Scientists in the CIS countries do not receive the highest salaries, but in game development their knowledge is assessed well. Full-time mathematicians who work side-by-side with game designers are paid between $ 1,500 and $ 1,800.
PR, advertising, marketing
If you know how to sell water to a drowning man, then welcome to the gaming industry. Publishers spend a lot of money on advertising their products and want it to pay off. In recent years, the gaming industry has been slipping into commerce, and the expertise of PR specialists, marketers and advertisers is very useful.
PR-specialists with a dangling tongue are responsible for public relations and journalists. These guys know how to draw players’ attention to the project. Advertisers think through promotion campaigns and get creative as soon as they can. The marketer knows the market and understands what players want today.
A special place has been prepared for promoters in the gaming industry. Usually publishers collaborate with PR companies, but especially large ones keep the staff. A specialist in this area earns an average of $ 900.
Tester
A tester is a profession around which many myths soar. Most of all schoolchildren dream about it, believing that they will only have to sit and play for days. They are right, but the pitfalls will weigh down their self-confidence.
Testers really need to play a lot and often not the best projects. Moreover, their task is to find bugs and errors in the game, and not a simple assessment. They have to go through the same level many times to understand if everything is working correctly. Testers are also disliked by programmers because they deliberately look for bugs in the game that need to be fixed later.
If you decide that you are good at getting to the bottom of the little things, then welcome to the testers. The hate from the programmers will compensate you with $ 1,000 per card.
Content maker or blogger (YouTube, Twitch, etc.)
Young people … (Gospade, I speak like an old man) are no longer interested in ordinary work. They look to successful bloggers and streamers to do the same. The popularity of the vacancy can be compared only with the work of a tester, and there are no less underwater cobblestones.
Building a YouTube channel is like a business. A budding blogger looking to turn this into a job needs to invest first. A powerful computer and recording equipment is a starter and not cheap kit for a blogger or streamer. The skills of an announcer and a journalist will also come in handy to create good stories: talking heads, playing for the camera, and so many.
If you decide to start your own small project, then you have two paths: oblivion and mind-blowing success. For us, the second option is relevant, in which you can earn from $ 300 to $ 500 thousand. This big difference is due to the unpredictability of the market. You can stay at the level of the average blogger or grab the hype as a streamer Ninja and earn $ 560 thousand a month.
If your heart is in video games, and your imagination can compete with Japanese advertisers, then you won’t have a price. The main thing is to follow your dream and do what you like. When you love what you do, you will do everything to become the best at it.
