Design Match logo

Vocabulary

video game industry

The video game industry is a fast-growing and highly profitable sector of the entertainment industry. It has been estimated that in 2020, the global games market was valued at over $159 billion, with projections indicating an increase of over 5% annually by 2025. The video game industry consists of a wide variety of different elements and aspects, from game development to software engineering, marketing, publishing, sales, and much more. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the main aspects and components of the gaming industry.

Console gaming is one of the most popular ways to play video games, with generations upon generations of dedicated console gamers. Popular consoles in 2020 included Sony’s Playstation 4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One X. The industry continues to evolve with developing technology such as virtual reality (VR) headsets which allow players to experience games on a new level through 3D immersive environments.

In recent years PC gaming has become increasingly popular in the video game industry due to hardware advancements allowing for powerful hardware even in budget builds. PC gamers are able to customize their gaming rigs by purchasing individual components like processors, graphics cards, and RAM modules rather than relying on pre-built systems as seen with consoles. This allows them to tailor their rigs specifically towards certain types or genres of games they would like to play or develop ideas for themselves through modding existing titles or creating mods for others to enjoy (e.g., Minecraft).

video game industry
Hand-held gaming devices play an important role in the video game industry

Mobile gaming has become integral in the video game industry thanks to smartphones equipped with powerful processors that give access to compelling yet simple experiences on the go. Short sessions became increasingly popular through hit titles like Temple Run or Subway Surfers among countless others released each month across both iOS and Android platforms. It’s easy for devs these days to get their indie titles published due to the multitude of small studios focusing on mobile development or the growing trend of side projects from established AAA companies releasing companion apps alongside big releases such as Fortnite’s Battle Royale mode being available on both consoles and mobile devices alike.

Massively multiplayer online (MMO) games come in many forms: strategy MMOs such as World Of WarCraft; first-person shooters (FPS) such as Counter Strike; battle royale shooters like Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG); MOBAs (Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas) like League Of Legends; card collectors such as Hearthstone; digital collectibles including CryptoKitties; puzzle & education based titles such as Trivia Crack etc… These are just some examples but they all have one thing in common: they rely heavily on online infrastructure investments — servers, networks, etc. — thus requiring huge sums of money invested into maintenance yet also offering high player numbers thus allowing them to compete easily with singleplayer experiences in terms of revenue generated each month if done right.

Indie games are made by smaller studios often consisting of only a few individuals passionate about their ideas and covering virtually any genre possible thanks again to improvements in hardware capabilities allowing small teams even with limited funding production values unseen not too long ago yet still engaging nonetheless! There are tons of amazing projects out there that you can find via services like itch io if you’re looking for something unique outside AAA titles from big studios.

Job Opportunities in the Video Game Industry

The video game industry is an ever-growing field that offers a wide variety of job opportunities. Here are some of the most common job roles you can find within the video game industry:

  • Game Programmer: Programming code for video games and ensuring their proper functioning.
  • Level Designers: Creating levels, campaigns, puzzles, and worlds for games.
  • UI & UX Designers: Creating user interfaces and experiences that are intuitive and engaging.
  • Graphics/VFX Artists: Responsible for creating 2D and 3D art assets as well as animations and special effects.
  • Concept Artists: Develop characters, environments, objects, vehicles, etc by sketching or digitally painting them.
  • Writers/Narrative Designers: Writing stories, dialogues, description texts, and other content for games.
  • Sound Designers/Composers: Creating music, sound effects, and voiceovers for games.
  • Quality Assurance Testers: Testing games to ensure they are bug-free before release.
  • Technical Support Specialists: Providing assistance with technical issues related to games both pre & post-release.
  • Game Server Administrators: Maintaining servers used to host online multiplayer matches ensuring smooth play sessions for players around the world.

In conclusion, the video game industry offers an abundance of opportunities due to its immense size and diversity making it an evergreen field continuously offering newer better experiences almost every day something truly mesmerizing considering how far we’ve come over the last couple of decades! Whether you choose to be part big studio working on AAA titles start your own company crafting independent projects prefer casual mobile experiences playing computer console – this is one industry that surely won’t let you down anytime soon!

Get Design Tips

Get design tips for your startup straight to your inbox by subscribing. Join our community!