Emerging opportunities in Ireland’s eSports and Gaming Industry

The popularity of mobile gaming and eSports is creating opportunities for IT workers. In this article, we look at the trends driving this growth and highlight the roles available for candidates interested in working in the gaming industry.

Ireland’s gaming industry has expanded steadily in recent years and is poised for further growth due to developments like the popularity of eSports and the rise of mobile gaming. PwC predicts that video gaming and eSports will grow by 27 percent over the next five years and a key point in the Government’s recently published Audio-Visual Action Plan is increased marketing measures to attract major computer games studios to Ireland.

Gaming industry trends

Current trends contributing to the growth of the gaming sector include

• established industry players looking for independent developers to make games available for consoles like Playstation and Nintendo,
• the popularity of smartphones which is accelerating the growth of mobile gaming
• data analytics which are used to enhance games and improve engagement
• artificial intelligence which is making games less predictable and more interesting.

eSports

The rise of eSports is another factor contributing to the growth of the gaming sector. Globally, eSports is experiencing rapid expansion as fans watch their favourite gamers participate in competitive gaming tournaments. A recent example is the Fortnite Battle Royale which took place at Croke Park in February 2019 as part of a series of eSports events across Ireland and the UK.

Newzoo, a global provider of eSports games and analytics, has predicted that the global eSports economy will grow to $905.6 million this year and the global eSports audience will reach 380 million, made up of 165 million eSports enthusiasts and 215 million occasional viewers.

Newzoo’s research shows North America is the largest eSports market, followed by Western Europe and China.

Advancing your career

With the video gaming and eSports sector expanding, there will opportunities for IT professionals interested in getting involved. Experience in the gaming sector can be an excellent route to career advancement as many of the skills are relevant in other sectors, including the skills of developers and engineers, data analysts, games testers, quality assurance professionals and various other IT workers.

Examples of current roles

Currently, video gaming roles include software development and engineering—where skilled professionals are needed to create games—and a broad range of specialist roles in areas such as design, animation, editing, production and special effects.

In the eSports sector, there also roles for developers of games content as well data analysts, animators, games testers, quality controllers and project managers.

Across the gaming sector, there are also related roles in areas such as marketing, social media, reporting on live events, translating and interpreting, and event management.

Finding suitable roles

The best way to find relevant roles in the gaming sector is to register with a specialist IT recruiter. So, if you are interested in video games or eSports, why not contact Eolas Recruitment to find out more about the opportunities and how we can help you find a suitable role.

 

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