Computer Games Developer Job Information | National Careers Service

Job profiles

Computer games developer

Hours

30-40 per week
Starting salary

£25,000 + per year

If you love computer games and enjoy using your imagination, this could be ideal for you. Computer games developers produce games for PCs and games consoles. They also produce games for the internet and mobile phones. The work could involve making new games or updating existing titles.

Most computer games developers have a qualification. However employers may be more interested in your software skills and experience.

To become a computer games developer, you will need to have creativity and imagination. You’ll also need to be able to work under pressure.

The work

If you love computer games and enjoy using your imagination, this could be ideal for you.

Computer games developers produce games for PCs, games consoles, the Internet and mobile phones. The work could involve developing new games or updating existing titles.

A game can take several months or even years to produce. There are many stages before a game is released, from creating ideas and characters to programming and testing. There are various tasks involved at each stage, so your role could be, for example:

designer – deciding what a game looks like and how it plays. You would either come up with your own original ideas or work from an existing concept (idea)
artist – creating the game's visual characters, objects and scenery, and producing concept art and drawings (storyboards) at the planning stage
animator – bringing the characters, objects and scenery to life with computer modelling and animation software during the production stage
programmer – creating the code to make the game work. You could specialise in developing graphics, artificial intelligence (AI), or gameplay software.

In all of these roles you would report to a producer or project manager, who oversees the whole process and makes sure that the finished game is completed on time.

Visit the Computer Games section of Creative Skillset's website for more details about the various roles in the computer games industry.

Creative Skillset – Computer Games Job Roles

Hours

Working hours in the computer games industry can vary. In many jobs you would work standard office hours, with some unsocial hours (such as evenings and weekends) and overtime to meet deadlines.

You could be based in an office or a studio, depending on your role. You would spend most of your time sitting at a computer.

Income

Starting salaries for artists and programmers are usually around £25,000 a year. Experienced and skilled designers, head programmers and producers usually earn around £35,000 to £50,000.

Many companies also offer bonuses and share schemes for successfully completing projects.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

Most workers in the games industry have a degree or BTEC HND qualification, especially highly skilled staff such as programmers, designers and artists. However, employers may be more interested in your skills, experience and software knowledge than your formal qualifications.

Several colleges and universities offer courses in computer games design or development. You could also do this work with other relevant degree subjects like:

computer science or software engineering
animation, graphic design, fine art or illustration
interactive media
maths or physics
multimedia design.

The most useful courses include practical skills and work placements. Many people find their first job in the games industry through placements as part of their degree. Check course content and entry requirements carefully so that you choose the right one for you. See the Creative Skillset website for details of courses approved by the industry.

Creative Skillset

A popular way to start working in the games industry is as a quality assurance (QA) tester. You do not need a degree to start at this level, but you must have plenty of experience of game playing, and full knowledge of game platforms and styles. It is also useful to have some knowledge of programming.

Employers will want to see proof of your talent and creativity when you are looking for work. You will need to show examples of your work, which could include completed game projects, ideas for games or programmes, or a DVD or online portfolio of artwork or animation.

You can also show your commitment to the industry by:

going to games festivals and events
designing your own games and releasing them on gaming websites and forums
keeping up to date through gaming magazines and websites.

Training and development

You would usually learn on the job from experienced staff. You would start at junior level, and a senior designer, artist or programmer would direct or supervise your work.

You should keep up to date with industry developments throughout your career. It would also be useful to learn more software packages that are relevant to your job, for example:

3Ds Max, Maya or DirectX - for artists and animators
C++, Java, Assembler and various AI tools - for programmers.

Many other packages are available, and some companies create their own software.

The Creative Skillset website lists a range of short courses for the computer games industry.

Creative Skillset

The National Skills Academy for IT

The National Skills Academy for IT promotes excellence in IT learning and development. Through the Academy you can gain:

access to high quality IT training and resources
information and access to new training to meet growing needs
professional recognition and speed up your career progress.

The Academy offers over 1000 courses online including courses relating to computer games development.

National Skills Academy for IT

Skills and knowledge

To become a computer games developer, you will need to have:

excellent computer skills
a wide knowledge and understanding of computer games
creativity and imagination
a logical approach to problem-solving
good teamwork and communication skills
flexibility and adaptability
the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
patience and attention to detail
willingness to keep up with industry developments and learn new skills.

More information

Creative Skillset Careers (Opens new window)
Tel: 08080 300 900 (England and Northern Ireland)
Tel: 0845 850 2502(Scotland)
Tel: 08000 121 815 (Wales)
www.creativeskillset.org/careers

Creative Skillset (Opens new window)
Focus Point
21 Caledonian Road
London
N1 9GB
www.creativeskillset.org

e-skills UK (Opens new window)
1 Castle Lane
London
SW1E 6DR
020 7963 8920
www.e-skills.com

Opportunities

Skills in animation, camera, lighting, mobile technology and scriptwriting are particularly in demand in the industry. Freelance contracts are common.

Around half of the UK games industry is based in London and the south east of England. Other significant areas are Bristol, the North West, the West Midlands, Sheffield, Leeds, Dundee and Edinburgh.

Jobs may be advertised on games industry websites and by specialist online recruitment agencies. You could also find work by approaching companies directly, and by developing contacts in the industry.

You may find the following useful for vacancies and general reading (links open in a new window):

Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.

We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.

Related industry information

Industry summary

The computer games industry is part of the creative industries, which is represented by Creative Skillset. This includes: advertising; animation; computer games; corporate and commercial production; fashion and textiles; film; interactive media; photo imaging; publishing; radio; and television.

The computer games industry is firmly established as a major feature of the UK's contemporary media landscape. The industry has recently experienced massive growth in its audience and incredible advances in technology and creative possibilities.

Key facts:

8,850 people are employed in the computer games development industry, which is 2% of the whole creative industries.
There are around 220 businesses of which: 155 are games development companies; 30 games publishing companies; and 35 games support companies.
25% of businesses employ between 1 and 5 people, 11% between 6 and 10, 18% between 11 and 20, 21% between 21 and 50 people.
68% of the workforce has a degree, but an estimate 90% of entrants since 2000 were at degree level.
27% of the degrees held by those in computer games are media related.

Jobs in the industry range from: Games Designer, Level Editor, Artist, Concept Artist, Programmer, Quality Assurance (QA) Tester, Audio Engineer, Producer, External Producer, Project Manager, Creative Director, Animator, Lead Artist, Sales Manager.

National and regional data

This games workforce is distributed relatively evenly across the UK, which differentiates the games sector from the rest of the creative industries. The largest number of employees in computer games is located in:

South East
West Midlands
North East

The East Midlands hosts some of the UK’s leading games developers including Climax On‐line in Nottingham, Eurocom and Circle Studios in Derby, and Free Radical in Sandiacre near Nottingham.

The East of England games industry has grown considerably since 2006 and there are an estimated 400 people working in the industry. Cambridge is home to one of the UK's main games development clusters, including companies such as Jagex.

In London, there is high concentration of games publishers in London, including Eidos and the European head offices of Sony Computer Entertainment.

The games industry in the North East has grown by 113% over the past four years. In particular Merseyside played a critical role in the development of the UK Games industry and this is reflected in the pool of interactive software talent in and around Liverpool.

Major games publishers and software companies (including IBM and Microsoft) are in the South East. Surrey has a concentration of companies working in computer games development, including the European headquarters of the American games company, Electronic Arts. Other development studios are clustered in Brighton, Guildford and Oxford.

There are an estimated 200 people working in the computer games industry in the South West.

In the West Midlands, Leamington Spa is host to two of the most successful UK games companies, Blitz and Codemasters. This growing cluster is supported by the Universities of Birmingham, Coventry and Warwick, which have academic expertise in the application of Games and Artificial Intelligence technologies, virtual reality and 3D imaging.

In Yorkshire and Humber, there are 40 computer games developers and publishers.

There are around 800 people working in the computer games industry in Northern Ireland.

Scotland has carved a significant niche in the industry with a number of high‐end studios producing games for worldwide distribution and a workforce of around 600. Popular games console titles, like ‘Grand Theft Auto’, ‘State of Emergency’ and ‘Harry Potter Quidditch World Cup’ were all produced in Scottish studios. Dundee and the east coast, through to Edinburgh, are home to the majority of Scotland's computer games developers.

Wales has a growing computer gaming sector with Jester Interactive Limited, Gamesworld 7, Broadsword Interactive and Dark Rock Games.