GAME ON WITH JOBS ON THE RISE
TIME spent playing video games may not be time wasted after all, as job growth in game development is outpacing that of film and television.
Although still a relatively small occupation in Australia, between 2011-12 and 2015-16, the number of digital game developers increased by 26 per cent, Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show.
The workforce grew from 581 to 734 jobs.
In comparison, film and video production jobs increased by 9 per cent to reach 14,638, and postproduction jobs by 5 per cent to employ a total of 2462 workers.
Employment by commercial free-to-air broadcasters increased by 2 per cent to reach 8012 workers.
Games are increasingly popular in Australia, with people playing a video, computer or board game at home a total of 704 million times in the 12 months to March, 2018, Roy Morgan research reveals.
Mobile phone gaming is particularly driving the gaming sector.
Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) research finds about half of developers focus on iOS (55 per cent) or Android (49 per cent) smartphone operating systems.
This compares to 39 per cent who develop for personal computers and 17 per cent for virtual reality.
IGEA chief executive Rob Curry says developers are not the only workers required in the sector.
“Only a quarter of jobs in the video game industry are about coding,” he says.
“A lot sit in sound, production, narrative design, art, as well as all the traditional jobs such as data analytics, finance and law.”
Curry says video games are also used in areas outside of entertainment, such as by employers and schools looking for more engaging ways to deliver training.
“It is a much bigger industry and that creates a lot bigger opportunities,” he says.
For people interested in a career in the video game sector, Curry recommends firstly having passion.
“If you are a great narrative designer, don’t become a coder – do what you are passionate about and good at,” he says.
He also recommends building a portfolio to showcase your work to potential employers.
“That will also encourage you to practice, practice, practice,” he says.