Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
Are you a interested in computers and gaming, love numbers, and want to create something? You might want to look for jobs in gaming!
Did you know that even when the Covid-19 pandemic laid waste to a great many jobs and even industries, for some having people cooped up indoors with nowhere to go proved to be a great thing?
I’m talking about the gaming industry, of course!
Imagine this: you are stuck at home, 24/7, under curfew conditions, with zero contact from people who don’t live under your roof. What do you do? In 2020, a vast majority of Indians, especially women, turned to gaming and thus there has been an exponential increase in women gamers in India!
There was such an increase in Indian gamers that the industry, which was worth 62 billion rupees at the end of the 2019 financial year, closed the 2020 financial year with 90 billion rupees 12 months later! At the end of financial year 2022, this is estimated to rocket up to a whopping 143 billion rupees!
With a predicted 40,000 new job opportunities by 2022, jobs in gaming in India are on a hot streak at the moment. So, if you have been considering a career in it, now is the time to quit thinking and just jumping straight in! And the industry definitely needs more women!
I know what you are thinking: just mentioning the fact that you are a gamer, or you like playing video games (like seriously!), you get strange looks. Or a doubtful “uh-huh?” What would the reaction be if you consider a career in gaming!
Why is the gaming industry still a male bastion in 2022? This is a question no man can ever answer clearly. Why is there still such a dearth of female gamers in India? It isn’t as if you need any man parts to play or design video games, is it? So, why can’t us women consider a career in the gaming industry a viable career option? Why are jobs in gaming limited to majoritarily to men?
There are many jobs in gaming for women and men, depending on your educational background you could become a game developer or get involved in game designing, or even a game tester.
A career in the gaming industry has many offshoots – if you are of artistic bent, you could become a game designer. If writing code is your jam, you could help build the actual game. Or you could do the music for the game, become a game tester and get paid to play games all day or you could even be a professional video game player! Yes, it is a thing!
As mentioned earlier, the gaming industry is broadly classified into four main categories
Each category has widely differing requirements. If you want to get into game engineering, you need to be skilled in computer languages and coding. Knowledge of C++, Java, Dev Ops etc is a given and if you have a Tech degree with an IT specialisation or a BCA or MCA, you stand a good chance of getting hired.
Game design is a different kettle of fish – you need excellent visualisation skills and artistic talent. Having a degree or even a diploma in game design would make your entry smooth, as will knowledge of different platforms and games across different genres.
If you are just into art and animation, have sound knowledge of both, as well as VFX, then a career in game art is a good fit for you. You need excellent drawing skills, have a great eye for colour and visualisation and you will be well on your way into a brilliant career in game art!
If you are of the logical bent of mind, have an in-depth knowledge of different games, platforms and genres and have a degree in computers / software etc, then becoming a game tester is a no-brainer of a choice. After all, who would not want to get paid to play games all day, right?
So now that we have laid the bare bones of it, let’s start drilling down. How to get a foot-hold into the gaming industry? Simply put, you need a solid background in computers, software engineering, ideally. You need to be really good in maths and physics, at a minimum. Science nerds, this is where you come into your own! Don’t ignore your computer languages – C, C++, Java, get really good at them.
For those into design / art, our country boasts of a fair number of world class design schools.
Of course, basic digital tools like Photoshop, ZBrush, Substance Designer etc are mandatory.
Whichever direction you wish to go to specialise, a fair understanding of how game engines, like Unity, Unreal etc work, will be helpful, going forward.
Now that your foundation is sorted, what is your way in? Don’t wait till you finish your degree to get some experience.
There are plenty of online courses offered by web sites like EdX, Udemy, Coursera and so on that you can take during your summer holidays to give you a leg up. Create small games and release them on the App or Play Store to gain some valuable experience. Nothing like a bit of a real world intro, hey?
One of the advantages of doing online courses is you get a window into the world outside, and get a chance to network with people in the gaming industry elsewhere. So take advantage of that and form connections.
Above all, I’d recommend that you need to be really, really into gaming, as genuinely loving it helps. Play different games, in different genres, in different machines. Get comfortable with every one of them. Steady hand, steady eyes, steady nerves. Excellent reflexes are a given. Get into the gaming community – safely. Really hone your skills and become a confident gamer. This will keep you on top of your game, pun unintended, as well as keep you in the loop with international pop culture.
Like any other industry in 2021, embrace the power of social media. Use your passion for video games and become a game reviewer. These days, it can take the form of a blog, an Insta reel, or even a longer, Youtube vlog.
Choose a platform that grabs your fancy and go for it. Wannabe designers, talk about the design, the art, the look and design of the games. Would-be developers, talk about the complexity of the game, the storytelling, the intricacy and the rest of it. Not only will this keep you current and aware of what is happening in your industry, it will also give you name recognition.
Now that we have looked at all the possible jobs in gaming, we come to the all important question: what money can you hope to make? While individual skills, talents and experience come into play while deciding pay, a designer or a developer can hope to start off with Rs 7 lakhs per annum, which can go to Rs 12 lakhs with a couple of years of experience. Though the starting pay may be small, there is potential for exponential growth.
So, the next time someone from the 16th century goes “a girl gamer?!”, channel your best Elle Woods from Legally Blonde and go “Why? Is it like, hard?!”
Are you a woman at work who’s breaking stereotypes in any of these upcoming/ promising industries – Gaming, data science, AI & ML, cloud computing, digital marketing, social media (influencer) or any other emerging industry that has promising career opportunities.? Come inspire young women.
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Mother, writer, foodie, margarita lover, Lavanya is the exception to the rule that women are multi-taskers. She loves travelling and the top spot on her 'must-visit' list goes to the Irish West Countries. read more...
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
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