The thriving gaming industry and you

Video games have played a huge part in society for decades. The ‘gamer’ stereotype previously belonged to a few, but as the industry has developed, so has its audience.

Now, it is estimated that 2.2 billion people play video games, nearly a third of the planet’s population. The industry is enormous. It’s worth billions of dollars and generated over $130 billion in 2018.

The rise of esports leagues and competitions has attracted even more interest in gaming, as money is on offer to players. The Fortnite World Cup 2019 had a prize pool of $100 million, with the solo event winner being won by 16-year-old Kyle Giersdorf who took home $3 million.

Streaming sites position players with a platform to showcase their skills but also the potential for a career in gaming. Twitch (provided by Amazon) currently has an undisputed lead over other sites such as Mixer, Facebook, DLive and YouTube Gaming. Twitch’s huge audience has more than 15 million daily users, with nine million channels streaming content.

For each of these games and platforms, a team of designers, programmers, artists and developers is needed. Not only are gaming experts in high demand, but their level of expertise is also paramount to their success.

Which is why at the University of Bolton, students receive the opportunity to work closely with industry and the latest software.

The University’s alumni come from across the country to talk about their experiences and how they landed incredible jobs at companies such as EA, TT Games, Rockstar Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Codemasters and more.

“The facilities at the University of Bolton are exceptional, and aspiring game developers should seriously consider the University as their number one choice. The hands-on approach by the extremely experienced lecturers allows for an engaging learning experience, and it is clear to see why so many of their graduates are employed in the industry.” – Sunjay Dayalji, Associate Lead VFX Artist, TT Games.

If you’re considering jumping into this thriving industry, we hope you explore the world of Games through the University of Bolton.

For more information on all our Games courses, click here.