A generation ago, a career in gaming sounded like the dream job, albeit a slightly fanciful one. Today, gaming is an industry that generates hundreds of billions of dollars per year and provides career opportunities for thousands of people. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Australia. The land down under is rapidly becoming one of the world’s tech hotspots, and employers across the nation are recruiting.
There is a particular demand for those with experience to fill more senior roles, so if you are looking to advance your career in gaming and are also open to a change of scenery, a move to Australia could be just what is needed.
All eyes on Australia
Last month, Games Jobs Live teamed up with the Interactive Game and Entertainment Federation to research and publish the first ever comprehensive jobs report for the Australian market. Despite difficult economic conditions across the board, the publishers seemed surprised to see there are literally hundreds of gaming jobs available in Australia right now.
However, those of us who know the market are, perhaps, less surprised. Tech is now the third highest contributor to GDP in Australia. Gaming is one of the biggest tech sectors and is growing like mad. Add those factors together, and it is not difficult to imagine that there are plenty of opportunities to be had.
An emphasis on mobile gaming
Worldwide, mobile accounts for more than 50 percent of the gaming market. So it is unsurprising that the top recruiters are primarily focused on this niche. Blowfish and SMG stand out in particular. Both are Sydney-based and both prioritize mobile gaming as their main niche.
Yet these are just two of 37 different gaming companies across Australia that are currently recruiting for 176 different vacancies at the time of writing. Take a look, as there is something for everyone.
Aussie casino providers hitting the jackpot
One of the most popular game niches in Australia is iGaming. From a playing perspective, casino games are universally popular and statistics show that Australians gamble more than any other nationality. Over the past two years, mobile casino games in Australia have surged in popularity, with Australians taking to the pokies, roulette wheels and card tables via their smartphones in record numbers.
From a careers perspective, iGaming has always been less of a sure thing in Australia due to the strict regulatory environment. Yet even here, there are established companies serving the global market and thriving. Examples include Perth-based VGW and, of course, Aristocrat. The latter has been churning out physical pokies for the Australian market since long before the internet, yet has still managed to remain relevant in the market right up to the present day.
Sydney and Melbourne are the places to build your career
Of those 170 odd jobs mentioned earlier, more than 150 are with companies based in either Sydney or Melbourne. Clearly, if you are serious about developing a gaming career in Australia, you need to be equally serious about making one of these cities your new home.
As for the roles themselves, we mentioned already that most openings are more senior and for those with plenty of experience. Beyond that, though, there are vacancies across a range of specialities. The top job titles currently include coding, art, animation, QA and design.
