By Ketan Godkhindi
Over the past few decades, online skill gaming has come a long way. Buoyed by smartphone penetration, India’s massive youth population, growing internet penetration and the affordability of smartphones, the sector has witnessed tremendous growth. By 2024, India’s gaming industry is set to be valued at close to $4 billion.
Another factor that contributed to its rapid growth is that during the pandemic, it was perceived as a means of stress relief, entertainment and as a platform through which like-minded people can socialize.
Seeing its popularity rise among the masses, the Indian gaming industry is harnessing the latest technologies, software, better connectivity, gadgets, and the likes, to make it even more widespread. For instance, vernacular content and localized gaming interfaces are making online gaming popular even in tier two and tier three cities of the country. As gaming companies continue to mature, need for skilled people in the industry will also grow. It’s safe to say that the industry, which extends across the mobile, PC, online and gaming categories, will give rise to multiple opportunities for a lucrative job market.
Those keen to enter this booming industry have many promising opportunities as studios are actively hiring for talent that possesses the relevant skills as well as a passion for gaming.
From a career point of view online skill gaming can be divided in two broad divisions; one being the game developers, which comprises of the companies that create the games. Having a strong educational background can enhance your chances of securing employment opportunities. Game designer, game developer, game tester, animator, visual artist, Audio engineer are some of the many career options that can be pursued after gathering the required degree.
On the other side, we have the gamers, who are responsible for taking the games and drawing entertainment via interaction, participation and viewership through streaming. Still in its nascent stage in India, streaming is a form of online video broadcast on specialized platforms where you play games and entertain your viewers. Streaming has become a full-time job for a lot of people with them earning a comfortable six-figure income monthly by just regularly entertaining their viewers. You can build your audience with your play style or your witty humour. Brands sponsor these streamers to advertise and endorse their products on their stream, making it a lucrative career option. One of the main reasons why there has been growth in the number of streamers in the country viewership is that more people are learning about it; be it as a result of interesting formats, gamers live streaming, influencers or the rise of platforms offering varied online skilled games.
With the Indian gaming ecosystem evolving at a rapid pace, this lucrative industry is expected to scale to new heights in the future. Taking cognisance of its potential, the government of India made recently announced its decision to constitute a new task force known as ‘AVGC’. This new task force has been introduced to cater for the global demand in animation, visual effects, gaming, and the comic sector. Hence it’s important for people, coming from diverse educational and professional backgrounds, to identify and seize the opportunities that are emerging in the Indian gaming sector.
The author is chief strategy officer, Witzeal Technologies
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