Join the team of tech tsars

Ruchir Arora

As per a recent report by NASSCOM, the gaming industry in India is booming. It is among the fast-evolving sectors in the entertainment sphere that is able to tap a business of at least $890 million annually. With the advent of technology and easy accessibility through laptops, tabs and smart phones in this digital age, the gaming industry finds a wide range of audience in every age group.

At present, there are approximately 100 game development companies that have cropped up in India. The demand for professionals in the field is subsequently increasing. Talented young students from diverse backgrounds can apply for courses that can land them jobs in the field at a starting, mid-level as well as top levels. All that one needs to have is a passion for games coupled with creativity in order to sustain in the industry.

Academically, some of the courses that can be taken up to land jobs in the gaming industry include BTech Computer Science Engineering, BA in Animation & Computer Graphics, Bachelor of Media and Animation Design, BSc Gaming, BSc Animation, Game Design and Development, MSc Multimedia & Animation, diploma and certificate courses in Game Development, Game Programming, VFX and Special Effects, Graphic Design, etc.

The basic eligibility requirements to pursue any of the above mentioned courses may vary from institute to institute. However, undergraduate degree courses require students to have completed class 12 from a recognised board with a specific list of subjects, and to pursue post graduate degree courses, one must have successfully completed his/her three or four year UG degree course. For admissions in diploma courses, a minimum of 60% in class 12 is sufficient, while those eyeing admissions in certificate courses should have completed class 10.

There are many profiles that can be considered if one has a keen interest in the field of gaming.

Some of these include

Game Designer: Designs and visualises the entire concept of the game, assists in market research to ensure the enjoyability of a game, aligns the concept with what is being produced

Educational Requirements: Bachelor’s in Game Design, BTech Computer Science Engineering, Bachelor of Science – Computers Science

Game Animator/ Visual Artist: Gives detailed attention is given to each object and character of the game, skin textures, lighting and shadows, movement of characters, navigation, etc. are also controlled by the animator

Qualifications: Bachelor’s in Animation/ Computer Graphics/ Illustration/ Art

Game Developer/ Programmer: Create technical codes to run the game concept, ensure technical coding is in sync with the game design and creative vision, test the game codes and fix flaws

Educational Requirements: Bachelor’s in Game Programming/ Game Development, BCA, BTech CSE

Narrative Designer: Add context to the story of the game, write dialogues for the characters, describe circumstances through actions and expressions, and write the in-game text, defining the story experience

Educational Requirements: Bachelor’s in English Literature/ Mass Communication, Certifications in Creative Writing/ Script Writing

Game Tester: Analyse game’s performance, identify bugs, suggest changes to enhance user experience and playability of the game

Educational Requirements: BTech CSE, ISTQB Certified Tester Certification from Indian Testing Board (ITB)

Institute Watch

Some of the colleges that offer courses to facilitate a career in the gaming industry are:

• Academy of Animation and Gaming Noida
• IIFA Multimedia- Institute for Interior Fashion & Animation, Bengaluru
• Asian Institute of Design, Bengaluru
• International Academy of Computer Graphics ( IACG), Hyderabad
• Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics, Mumbai (headquarters) – campuses in Agra, Meerut, Chandigarh, Patna, Dehradun, Udaipur, Gurgaon, Noida, Delhi, Faridabad, Jaipur, Allahabad, Kanpur, Gwalior, Lucknow, Jalandhar, Surat, Indore, Jabalpur, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Nasik, Baroda, Pune, Bhilai, Raipur, Bhopal, Bengaluru, Sikandrabad, Calicut, Trivandrum, Coimbatore, Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Hubli, Hyderabad, and many others.
• MIT Institute of Design, Pune
• Artemisia College of Art and Design, Indore
• Creative Mentors Animation and Gaming College, Hyderabad
• Asian Academy of Film and Television, Noida
• Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Pune

—The writer is Co-founder and CEO, CollegeDekho