1 RAPID GROWTH OF INDUSTRY

The world-wide pandemic and its accompanying quarantine have presented an opportunity for dedicated
console and computer gamers to spend more time with new games in store, which is increasing the
number of users and driving more revenues into the market. The console games market consists of sales
of console games. The console games market is segmented into digital, online/micro-transaction and
physical console games. A recent report from Research and Markets predicts that the global console
games market is expected to grow from $40.6 billion in 2019 to about $57.9 billion in 2020. It also noted
that the increasing penetration of smartphones has increased the demand for mobile gaming as compared
to that of console games. The market is expected to stabilize and reach $67.1 billion at a CAGR of 13.4%
through 2023[ CITATION 1 \l 1033 ].

 The emergence of cloud gaming is driving the market. Recent advances in advanced cloud
technology have turned the idea of cloud gaming into reality. In cloud gaming, the server, where all
the games are stored, does all the computation work, which includes game scene rendering, game
logic processing video encoding, and video streaming. Several companies such as OnLive, G-
Cluster, Gaikai, and T5-Labs are already offering commercial cloud gaming services. This new
sector is also seen as a serious competitor for the traditional game market.
 With the outbreak of COVID-19, home entertainment seems to be the only option for gamers in
lockdown while cinemas and theaters continue their 'door-closed' policy to prevent the disease. The
March 2020 survey shows that video gamers in the United States reported that they spent 45%
more time playing video games amid the quarantine than in the previous week. Esports is another
emerging industry that manages to make more than a billion dollars a year. Now, after the
pandemic, it has gained further traction. The increase in the first-time download of Twitch after the
epidemic in March has risen to 14% in the U.S.A and a staggering 41% in Italy [ CITATION 2 \l
1033 ].
 The sector is also witnessing considerable activity from startups, that are further propelling the
market growth. For instance, ‘The Forge Arena’ made by Phoenix Rising Studio’s is a Canadian
startup that is looking to become a new player in eSports. The game is free to download under the
same models as Fortnite and Counterstrike, selling in-game extras to make revenues focusing on
collectible and tradeable skins.
The report said that the console video game developers are adopting to subscription-based gaming and
that the major driving force for the console games market is the rapid increase in the number of active
gamers across the world. The overall picture shows that the global gaming industry itself is rapidly
expanding.

2 Opportunities in the Game Industry

Games Designer
Are you brimming with ideas for video games? If so a video game designer could be the career for you. In
this job, you’ll come up with the concepts that eventually become video games. You’ll develop the
storylines and characters, then work with a creative team of designers and developers through the game
production process to bring your game to life.

Game design is becoming ever more complex, so an accredited Games Art and Design course is essential
in making this career a reality.

Software Developer and Game Programmer

As a software developer and computer programmer, you’ll turn the games designer’s vision into a playable
and controllable game. The more technical side of games design, you’ll use programming languages and
‘engines’ to enhance game play. Developers design the software that make games work the way the
designers have envisioned, while programmers use problem-solving skills to create the code that turns the
games designers’ ideas into instructions that video game systems can read.
Gain a deep understanding of the theory, design and practical skills you’ll need to become a successful
software developer and game programmer with our Games Technology course.

Audio Engineer
Have you ever thought about what goes into how a game should sound? That’s where the audio engineer
comes in. They use computers and electrical sound equipment to create everything you hear in a game,
from sound effects to ambient noise, background music and voice-overs. Sound has become a huge part of
the gaming experience, so if you’re passionate about audio and creating the perfect ambience, becoming
an audio engineer could be the prefect gaming career for you.

Games Animator
Do you have the skills to create memorable characters that will visually appeal to players? The ability to
bring video games to life visually is becoming increasingly valuable within the gaming industry. Animators
are responsible for using specialist software to create the series of pictures that visually represent the
movement and behavior of characters within a game.

Games Artist
If you have a flair for the artistic, a career as a game’s artist could be the perfect fit. Whether you’re trying
to make a game look as realistic as possible or going for a more stylized look, in your role as games artist
you’ll be using your imaginative and creative skills to develop all visual elements, such as characters,
scenery, and surface textures.

Make the most of your creative talent with our Games Art and Design course.

Game Play Tester

Now we come to playing the games! Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as it sounds due to a heavy focus on
quality assurance. Game testers work their way around the game to make sure it functions correctly, and
game instructions and documentation are clear. They look for glitches and bugs in the system and report
their findings to the designers and developers. It’s a pretty cool job if you like problem solving and gaming!

Professional Gamer
Can you believe you could make a living out of playing video games?! You must be incredibly talented and
devote a lot of time each day to practice, but that’s like anything, right? The salary of a gamer will obviously
vary depending on how skilled you are. Professional gamers earn winnings from sponsored tournaments
and personal sponsorships just like professional athletes. It can be quite a short career and a lot of pro
gamers go into games art and design or programming and development after they retire from the pro
gaming world.

3 What is eSports?
eSports describes the world of competitive, organized video gaming. Competitors from different leagues or
teams face off in the same games that are popular with at-home gamers: Fortnite, League of Legends,
Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, Overwatch and Madden NFL, to name a few. These gamers are watched and
followed by millions of fans all over the world, who attend live events or tune in on TV or online. Streaming
services like Twitch allow viewers to watch as their favorite gamers play in real time, and this is typically
where popular gamers build up their fandoms.

It's teams of people playing games against each other at a professional level, regularly winning huge sums
of money as prizes. These esports players are contracted to play for a variety of different organizations,
much like a football or basketball player would be. These teams’ practice and compete on their respective
game just as a footballer or other sportsperson would too. Depending on the game they play – from
shooters such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive esports and Call of Duty esports to the multitude of
other genres like sports titles and battle royale games – there will be a number of tournaments and events
each year with hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes up for grabs, sometimes even entering the
millions.
Each competing esports organization will often have several teams in their ranks across multiple games.
One example is Fnatic; founded in 2004, at the time of writing they have teams on 10 different games
including Fortnite esports, League of Legends esports, and PUBG Mobile esports[ CITATION 3 \l 1033 ].

How does a game become an Esport?

Any multiplayer game can become an Esport, although almost all of the biggest games right now such
as Dota 2 esports and Overwatch esports simply set out, first and foremost, to be entertaining to play. A
competitive scene evolves over time, thanks to both game developer and community support.
There are two elements that play crucial roles in helping a game to succeed as an Esport; enjoyability and
balance. The first is simple because if a game isn't fun to play, then it's not going to be enjoyable to watch
and players will lose interest quickly. On the other hand, balance is key because otherwise the game
becomes uninteresting. For example, if one gun was outright better than all of the others in Counter-Strike,
nobody would use anything else and each match would be incredibly repetitive. One example of an almost-
perfect experience with regards to balance is Rocket League esports. Everyone is on an identical playing
field aside from the car, which has a negligible effect on gameplay anyway - it results in a high skill ceiling
and the concept is accessible for newcomers, since it's simply football with flying cars.

How to start competing in esports

Most games will have ranked modes and playlists you can jump into via the game itself. You'll be
matchmade with others online and often – but not always – this mode will have slightly different rules than
the standard game, with some restrictions or timer differences. Largely though, it'll be the game you're
familiar with.

If you've reached the stage where you're frequently winning in ranked play, there's a good chance you're
ready to make the step up. This is where each game varies, because games that have first-party esports
support from the developer themselves will have an easy method to compete, like Fortnite's in-game
tournament system.

References

[1] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-global-console-games-market-on-track-to-exceed-57-
billion-this-year-301117479.html.

[2] https://news.cision.com/simon-kucher---partners/r/new-study--gamers-around-the-world-are-spending-
more-time-and-money-on-video-games-during-the-covid-,c3166869.

[3] https://www.fnatic.com/.