Why are students opting for professional education in the gaming sector?

In today’s tech driven world, online gaming is no longer just a hobby, it is also a money-making opportunity. It is exciting, adventurous and engaging too. This profession needs a lot of technical skill. With youngsters aiming for new-age career options, gaming is rapidly becoming a much sought-after choice for many.  

The current scenario of the gaming sector 
In the pandemic-struck world, the demand of the gaming sector has immensely increased. In the absence of real interactive opportunities, gamers have resorted to virtual interactive gaming platforms, the access to which has been made easier due to ready availability of digital devices and cost-effective internet services.  

The net worth of the online gaming industry in India has gone up from USD 870 million in 2019 to USD 1 billion in 2021, with the profits only increasing with each passing day. Estimates say that this will further go up to somewhere around USD 3.9 billion by 2025. Moreover, the number of gamers is also expected to reach 700 million soon.  

Previously, gamers used to only operate from computers or laptops. But nowadays, mobile gaming has been trending more. According to BARC and Nielsen report, mobile games in India have been downloaded 7.3 billion times in the first half of 2020, which comprises of about 17% of the overall worldwide downloads.  

About 60% of gamers are India are below 25 years, while 43% of the total numbers are women. In fact, before the Covid-19 lockdown, gamers in India used to spend approximately 151 minutes per day which has gone up now to 218 minutes per day.  

Gaming education: A growing necessity in India 
Many CEOs of online gaming companies have stated that gaming is important, but so is investing time and efforts into creating new games. In fact, they are of the opinion that more youngsters with the knowledge of coding and programming will be required to develop new games. This is where gaming education comes into the picture. It has become the need of the hour for the gaming sector to work hand-in-hand with higher education institutions to create a curriculum that will encourage tech-savvy students to pursue gaming technology as a serious career option.  

Currently, there are already around 165 game-designing institutes across India, 25 of which are in the capital itself. There are many certificate courses that students can join even after their class 10 board exams while studying in high school. Youngsters who are passionate about animation, software and learning UI or UX should especially strive to make a career in this field. 

Understanding the benefits of gamification 
With online classes being the new-normal now, gamification has already become an integral part of the education system. Educators have been strongly focussing on game-based learning since a year now. Although it is still a new approach for many, this sector is slowly making its presence felt. Game-learning involves a practical or ‘learning by doing’ approach which makes it all the more interesting for students.  

Teachers and parents have reported that since the introduction of game-based learning into the online education curriculum, students have shown signs of improved cognitive abilities, clear understanding of concepts, better retention of information and higher self-confidence.  

Educators have been especially keen on continuing with game-based learning as it is really helpful to keep youngsters engaged and focused during long virtual classes. 

India as a game manufacturer 
Youngsters in India are looking towards not only being professional gamers but also game manufacturers. In fact, currently, there are about 400 gaming companies across the country who are looking to hire passionate youngsters in the departments of coding and programming, designing, communications, marketing and public policy making. These companies look to make their revenues from subscriptions, affiliations, donations and merchandising. Since the gaming industry has been booming, it is certain that young professionals who are interested in this sector, will reap great benefits.