• The UK is one of the world’s leading creator of games with global successes such as Grand Theft Auto, Monument Valley, Batman: Arkham, Runescape and Moshi Monsters.
• The UK is the world’s 6th largest games market, which was worth nearly £4.2 billion in 2015.
• There are 2,044 active games companies in the UK. It is home to 23 of the world’s top 100 development studios.
• Key cities include London, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol.
• The industry employs over 25,000 people and generates over £1.4 billion for the UK economy, with £2 billion in exports.
• A top game can cost £5 million and take two years to develop.
• Salaries start from about £12,000 for quality assurance and testing roles, up to £30,000 for skilled artists, animators and programmers. Senior salaries can go up to £45,000 for project managers, producers and lead roles.

• You will need to love games and how they are created.
• Games are generally designed and developed in teams, much like the film industry, so it is important that you can work as a team player.
• Employment is mainly based around small studios and freelance work.
• There are a lot of different roles, so you will need to think about what part you could play. Jobs mainly fall into three main areas: art, design and development, and programming. Our Games Art course covers the art and illustration side, while Games Technology covers development and coding.
• The industry is very fast moving with constant technology developments, so you need to be a quick learner and enjoy learning new skills.
• Working hours can be long, especially when games are reaching completion.

Creative Director
You are responsible for the overall look and feel of the game, making key decisions that affect how it plays, looks and sounds. You will also ensure the quality and style of the game play, artwork, music and audio.

Producer
You are managing the game’s production staff to ensure that the game is delivered on time and is fully working and quality assured.

Designer
You are devising what a game consists of and how it plays. You will be working in one of the core elements of the game: story, world/environment, levels, artificial Intelligence, gameplay, script etc.

Artist
You are creating all the visual elements for the game, such as characters, scenery, objects, vehicles, clothing, etc. This also includes aspects such as surface textures and lighting.

Animator
You are responsible for movement and behaviour within the game, making best use of the game engine’s technology.

Audio Producer: you are creating the soundtrack for the game, including music, sound effects, character voices, spoken instructions and ambient effects.

Programmer
You are designing and writing all the computer code that runs and controls the game. You will often be tasked with programming specific elements such as effects, artificial Intelligence, audio, online etc.

Tester (Q&A)
You are quality assuring the game to make sure it all works properly.