"We need to be more positive about the games industry"

gamesindustry.biz:

James Batchelor

Editor-in-Chief

Tuesday 5th April 2022

The games industry is facing a talent crisis. As video games grow larger and more complex, as does the business around them, companies are struggling to recruit the people and skills needed to achieve their long-term goals.

There are short-term solutions, of course, such as acquiring other companies (if you have the capital to do so) or offering remote or hybrid working as a way to reach people who are unable or unwilling to relocate.

But the industry still needs to be conscious of the broader picture, and address the obstacles at the very beginning of the pipeline: inspiring young people to seek a career in video games.

Jay Shin is senior lecturer and course leader for games, design and animation at University of West London, as well as a co-founder of indie studio Arrogant Pixel, Women In Games ambassador, UKIE board member and part of this year's Ensemble exhibition, highlighting Black, Asian and underrepresented ethnicities in the UK games industry. And finding future talent for the industry is something she spends a lot of time thinking about.

Jay Shin, University of West London

"I think that there's a perception issue," she tells GamesIndustry.biz. "The kids are really excited about video games, but it's the parents that need a little bit of convincing that it's a worthwhile career. I think that they're under the impression that video games are unstable in some way, that this is a fad that might just go away at some point. We know that that's not true, but the impression that I'm getting from some of the more difficult conversations I've been having with parents is that they don't understand that it's an industry.

"A lot of parents don't have the inclination or