The video game industry is leading the entertainment market with 2.81 billion gamers around the world. The statistics have been showing steady growth in the game users of 5.6% per year. The main reason behind this is the dramatic rise in subscription gaming services and cloud gaming. And this opens a whole new opportunity for the gaming sectors in India as well. India being the second most populated country also holds the record of having the maximum number of youths, which means we are contributing big time towards the world Gaming revenue. Holding the title of just being a user is not enough for us, instead, India has already started building its own hub to develop games as well.
Currently, there are 400+ established and indie Game companies flourishing in our country, making and distributing quality games to their users. But to keep the pace up, the gaming market is looking for more and more skilled assets. And this is the point where the industry is facing the hamartia of its story. There are so many talented minds and young people who are passionate about video games but only a quarter of them believes that they can make an actual career out of it. There can be a significant number of reasons that are responsible for this sceptical approach of youngsters towards the Gaming industry. The first one can be a lack of awareness. The gaming industry is still underrated among many segments of our country. Video games which can be a potential career option are under the shadows of being a mere source of entertainment.
The second and one of the prominent reasons is the parent’s misconception about this industry. As Indian parents are only looking towards the idealized field of education that is considered to be a stable career option in the future, it is pretty difficult for youngsters to opt for a career that doesn’t involve being a doctor or an engineer. Now is the time to make parents aware of how big the gaming industry has become within a decade of time, and Backstage Pass Institute of Gaming & Technology is actively contributing towards it. This unique college based in Hyderabad; India is setting milestones every year. Providing talented youngsters, the skill set they require for getting into the gaming industry. When it comes to playing games, you can find numerous gaming arenas across the country, but when it comes to learning game design and development, the numbers just shrink. Backstage Pass is one of the few colleges that provides game design and development courses exclusively. And when the talent of these youngsters meets with professional guidance of the mentors, outcomes are phenomenal.
Students of Backstage Pass are not only proliferating the Indian Gaming market but they have marked their success abroad as well. Alumni of this college are working in countries like the US, New Zealand, Sweden, London, Germany, and many more. Overwhelmed by the Industry’s demand Mr. Surya Prakash, Director & Founder of Backstage Pass says “Each company has a specific requirement, but we provide our students with an in-depth knowledge of game art, design or development, with strong basics; so, they can fit into any development team “. The remarkable achievement by Backstage Pass alumni like Anshul Soni placed as software engineer at EA Sports, Seattle USA, Asar Dhandala, Founder & Head of product at Seven Summit Studios, USA, Nilesh Krishnan placed as Senior Programmer at A44, Wellington, New Zealand, Sushil George placed as Senior Software Developer at Product Madness, UK are one of the few jewels in the colleges’ crown.
And it was not always like this, a few decades ago there were no specific education requirements to get into the Gaming Industry. Candidates with minimal knowledge of coding and exceptional creativity were easily hired by the Gaming companies. But with the advancement of technology and ease of accessibility, the companies started to look for something better. Instead of hiring people and training them on game development/design tools, the hiring team started looking for freshers who are already trained in game engines and design software. That’s where Backstage Pass comes into the spotlight. The strong curriculum involving the detailed practice of game engines and updated software made the whole difference. To support the statement Mrs. Swapna Naidu (Vice Principal at Backstage Pass) added “The teaching process involves an immediate implementation of theoretical knowledge. We teach students with live examples of what they are learning, which makes us different from the rest of the colleges”.
The end result of this practical teaching technique and the strong curriculum follows up with students of 4 years bachelor’s degree courses getting placed in their 3rd year itself. This assists student of Backstage Pass to get into the gaming market before their studies get over, helping them build industry experience within their course duration. Mr. Surya Prakash who aims toward early employment opportunities for their students as well as supporting the Indian Gaming market says “We are looking at a possibility wherein students start working in their 2nd year itself and start earning to support themselves with a higher salary range.”
The packages that students are offered starts from 3 to 4 lakh per annum for freshers and it goes up to 15 lakh per annum for the laterals with 4 to 5 years of experience. The opportunities are limitless in the gaming industry and it awaits skilled talents. Backstage Pass is helping to build the Indian Gaming Industry by adding more & more assets yearly. Mr. Surya Prakash says “The Games Industry globally is going to grow at a much faster pace in the coming years, creating more employment opportunities in future “.
