The new V&A in Dundee, Scotland’s dedicated museum of design, will open on September 15 with a celebration of Scotland’s contribution to the world of gaming.
Dundee is Europe’s biggest centre of games development, with the range of courses and Centre of Excellence at Abertay University considered the best in Europe – and it’s this achievement that will be celebrated in the V&A’s Scottish Design Galleries.
Dundee is also the birthplace of groundbreaking games, such as Grand Theft Auto and, much earlier, Lemmings.
Just last month the launch of a multi-million pound development in Dundee reflected the confidence that surrounds the city’s games sector.
Water’s Edge at City Quay has office suites, co-working spaces and even a 300-cover restaurant for hungry games developers.
Right now there are many opportunities to join the games industry directly or take up associated roles that help the sector continually evolve across Scotland.
Software Developer
The excitement of games is nothing without the software that runs it. The software developer is at the coalface of this industry in many ways, creating the building blocks of the finished product.
There are many routes into this role, including apprenticeships where showing a range of basic programming skills can help to secure on-the-job training with a games company.
There are academic routes, too, from foundation courses to HNDs and university degrees in computing.
With a computing or IT qualification, you can also boost your chances of landing a role by looking for a postgraduate course that concentrates on games development.
Project Manager
Like any production – and many games are now as intricate as a Hollywood movie – the development of a new title needs to run smoothly in timescales, budgets and to the client’s brief.
Although knowledge of the games industry is a benefit, project management is a transferrable skill in itself.
If you have a qualification or experience in project management, business management or using information systems, this could easily transfer into the world of games development.
This is a hi-tech business so knowledge of management software will be important.
Remember, you’ll also be dealing with creative types so it will be up to you to set some firm deadlines to ensure every game is delivered on time!
Digital Marketing
The world of computer games is incredibly competitive, so if you work for a company that produces its games to market rather than passing them on to a larger publisher, the word needs to get out there.
That’s where digital marketing comes in – for an audience that works, plays and almost lives online.
Knowing that tech-savvy audience is key to selling any game through digital channels effectively, including all social media as well as the company website and mobile marketing apps.
It’s not just about the tech though – your marketing ideas need to be fresh and relevant.
Web Developer
The skills of the web developer are vital to the games industry – whether that’s creating the website for the company itself, for the games it creates or the mobile games and apps that are vital to any company’s development.
The skills a web developer has – including writing code and design – are transferable to creating games too.
As a developer will know how people interact with a screen and, whether it’s the back end or front end or in some cases both, these talents can help create visually exciting games that are also solid in their construction.
If you’d like to get your game on with a brand new career, seek out the latest vacancies on s1jobs.