On the corner of a neighborhood south of guayaquil, The owner of a store attends daily to a dozen children who come to play in the last video game machine that she has left. It is an electronic device that she has had in her possession for two decades and that works when a coin is inserted.
Video games, although they have been with us since the last century, have never been as successful as now that They mutated from the ‘little machines’ to consoles and mobile devices. Not only because of the reach they have in the global community of online gamers, but because of the number of Job opportunities that this industry offers.
Video game development is currently one of the most in-demand careers in the world. In Ecuador, there are several educational institutions that offer courses and master’s degrees in programming for video games. Nevertheless, it is not necessary to specialize in this field to work on the creation of a game.
“Game development is always thought of as something closer to computer science, but it is not. The development of videogames is closer to culture and cinema than to computing”, explains Iván Terceros, co-founder of Openlab and organizer of the Global Game Jam in Ecuador.
Terceros compares video games with the cinemawhich he describes as “the queen of cultural industries in the 20th century”, because “it gave work to millions of people and incorporated many artistic disciplines in it, like literature through the script, photography, montage and music”.
Therefore, it is not necessary to be an expert in programming to survive in the gaming industry. Epic Gamesa popular digital video game platform, is looking for applicants who excel in disciplines such as Art, Engineering, Design, Advertising and Business Operations, as well as Programming and Music.
Valve Software, an American video game developer and distribution platform owner Steamincludes on its website job offers for the fields of Writing, Finance, Business Development, Art, Audio, Data Science, Technical Infrastructure, among others.
How profitable is it to work in video game development in Ecuador?
Iván Terceros points out that there are two scenarios for people who want to dedicate themselves to video game development in Ecuador. The first consists of work remotely for an international studiowhile the second scenario is set up a local studio Or work for one.
“We have a lot of people in the country who are working for international studios”, assures Third Parties. “The problem is for local studios, setting up a video game startup and hiring people within the country is complicated,” he adds.
“The first scenario: if you want to work for a company outside the country, you have to be an expert in the industry. The biggest challenges are if you want to set up a local studio because you are facing a small market. The video game development market is not a local market, it has to be an export market but you also have to be competitive”, says the programmer, who also indicates that Openlab is fighting so that they can “improve the conditions to open a video game company”. video games in the country.
One of the factors that hinder the success of video game companies is that in Ecuador International electronic payments for video games are not yet accepted. Terceros indicates that because the domestic market is not large, the target audience is abroad, but it is not easy for the money from those profits to enter.
Global Game Jam and Game Jam Ecuador, meetings for future video game developers
Since 2014 it has been developed in Ecuador a face-to-face session that brings together people of different abilities with the challenge of develop the prototype of a video game in 48 hours. Although in the last two years the event took place virtually, the community of those interested in the gaming industry is still very present and this year it returned to face-to-face events.
As the Openlab website mentions, “there is no previous knowledge requirement to participate in the Jam, the curiosity to make a video game is enough”. Iván Terceros, who acts as organizer of the event, expresses that the intention of bringing together industry enthusiasts is to form valuable links that can contribute to the creation of a video game.
“The idea is strengthen the developer communitytalk about the importance of the video game industry for the economy and culturemotivate more people (regardless of their profession) to enter this world and have a lot of fun”, reads the announcement of the 2021 edition of Global Game Jam.
Poland will use video games to teach history in a pioneering project
The Streamer Challenge
If video game development is a growing industry, streaming is not far behind. John Jairo, better known as ‘XrosJairo14’ by his Twitch user, is a caster (commentator) of video games and tournaments such as GeSports and a streamer. In addition, he has been considered one of the best Clash Royale coaches in Ecuador and has participated in international teams and tournaments.
The 23-year-old ‘gamer’ explains that, although audiences in the world of video games consume a lot of content, investment in the region remains weak. “In Latin America we are a little behind. Even Spain, which is the top of the Spanish-speaking countries, lags behind the European countries”, he adds.
Jairo, an International Business graduate, comments that the issue of investing money is something that greatly reduces the facilities for the video game industry. “There are very few job openings for players. In Ecuador there are few cases of professional teams, but Latin America in general is not prepared to generate so much investment”. The streamer also indicates that on the continent, independent developers have a hard time competing with the big companies that dominate the market.
José Andrés Véliz, also known as ‘Chone’, is a Rocket League Streamer/Analyst, Pokémon United player and CoCEO of @ninjas_ecuador. He has worked as a content creator in alliance with national teams due to his profession as a graphic designer, something that according to him opened the doors to the world of gaming. In addition, he has been a commentator in national tournaments, such as Gesports, as well as XrosJairo.
chone describes the Ecuadorian video game streaming audience as “active and participative” and mentions that “the pandemic helped a lot to grow this industry.” the streamers “They may not have a salary but they do have some income through these streaming platforms”he adds.
Among the ways to earn income through platforms like Twitch are donations and sponsors. “I think that one of the most profitable actions in the country is to be able to get sponsors or sponsors They can help you in some way.” Content creation is also a way to enter the world of gaming professionally, he says chonewho assures that success will depend on creativity and connection with the public.
The end of the FIFA video game has come, EA Sports will stop manufacturing it and launch its own Fortnite-style gaming service
Juan Diego Zambrano, CEO of GeSportsthe Casa Grande University initiative that organized a series of video game tournaments in 2021, states that gaming “It is a business that moves millions of dollars and Ecuador is missing out.”
“We consume a globalized market, we have as a reference what audiences from other countries like. Our own public does not consume what is national”, says Zambrano, and also comments that the reception that GeSports had among the players “demonstrates that can be monetized such an undertaking. There is an investment opportunity for private companies”. (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
