Does Experience In Game Development Work For Other Careers?

For the first time, we've started to see the establishment of training courses specifically for careers in game development. Many of them focus on skills like software development but there are even courses in things like esports administration.

The question that many who go into these have is whether those with knowledge about game development can still help if they choose to leave the industry and go elsewhere. Here, we're going to look at all the ways gaming industry skills can transfer over.

Software and Development

This one is probably the most clear-cut in terms of opportunities outside of video games as certain industries currently have a massive demand for experienced programmers, and it's a demand that isn't going away anytime soon. As some examples, the development of AI is set to grow exponentially over the next few years and VR developers are only just scratching the surface of their industry.

For a more direct comparison, you can look at the 'cousin' of video gaming in the form of casino gaming, which uses many of the same programming, graphics, and UX disciplines that gaming developers use. The US is set to be more open than ever to gambling soon across many new states, although with experience it would be possible to start immediately as online slots in NJ, NV, and CT amongst others are already big business. Most slot titles are built on the same technology as video games as well so there's very little distance needed to jump industries.

Esports Administration

Most people who watch or even attend esports events in person severely underestimate how much work goes into planning and hosting an esports event. Apart from just getting all the teams into one place, it also involves setting up the venue, getting all the licenses needed to host a large event, organizing hospitality services, and much more plus all the contracts and legal hurdles for all of it.

It's safe to say that anyone who can pull off an esports event, even on a smaller scale, has proven they have the planning and organization skills to handle any work in wider event planning or even a managerial role in a corporate setting. This path probably has the most wide-ranging opportunities outside of video games.

Design And Arts

This is a broad category as the specialisms can be quite narrow but they all move towards a similar path. Video game studios employ designers, artists, animators, and more when creating any game title, but despite how many specific roles they may have, experience in the field is more than enough to find work elsewhere. In particular, marketing and ad agencies always need skilled creatives, particularly those with specific knowledge of modern design technology.

Aside from regular employment, those with a sizable portfolio of work can readily find freelance roles at rates often much higher than salaried positions. The most skilled experts in specific artistic areas can almost name their own prices.

All in all, those with video game industry education and experience have very little to worry about outside the industry. Once a portfolio and a track record are established the future is very bright.