The latest statistics posted by the job search site indeed.com indicate that 2018 is the right year for gaming specialists to acquire new skills and switch to virtual reality and augmented reality game development and testing. The self-titled #1 job search site in the world shared a blog post discussing the state of the virtual and augmented reality gaming industry.
The number by itself may be staggering, but it is worth noting that this growth is measured against the job demand volume in 2015. The market for virtual reality and augmented reality gaming positions effectively exploded in 2017, after the launch of Apple’s ARKit and Google’s ARCore. These two game development kits have made it simpler and easier to integrate augmented reality features in mobile games and apps.
However, this is not the only explanation for the fact that companies are suddenly focused on scouting for virtual reality and augmented reality game development and testing specialists. At this moment, AngelList features over 1,800 VR startups and over 1,400 AR startups and almost every day one of these manages to attract significant funding to develop its projects.
The data shared by indeed.com is not surprising in the present circumstances of the virtual and augmented reality gaming industry. As headsets become more sophisticated and also more affordable, there is a steady demand for AR and VR content.
Together with AR and VR game development, employers are also looking for eSport specialists. This specific field refers to public demonstrations of AR/VR game play by professional gamers. The demand for this type of gamers has increased by 57% since 2015. To counterbalance this growth, there is a steady decline in the demand for traditional game testers (43% down since 2015).
The job market analysis shared by indeed.com also focuses on the US cities with the highest concentration of virtual and augmented reality gaming jobs. The top five, shared by indeed.com, are:
There are few surprises here. New York and the West Coast are leading, especially the state of California, the homeland of Silicon Valley. Most startups gravitate to this area, where they have the highest chances to join a business incubator, find angel investors or partner up and join forces.
It is unclear how long this trend will continue. At present, there is a strong imbalance between the demand and the offer, as few developers have AR/VR coding and testing skills. But this will not last for long. Professional developers, designers and gamers already understand that they need to upgrade their skills, in other words, to adapt in order to survive.
The traditional game development industry is probably not heading towards extinction, but the lure of the latest trends is strong and an increasing number of developers and testers will answer its call. Once the job market reaches saturation, the next step will probably be demand for specific skills and specific niches. Whatever the future holds for virtual and augmented reality game development skills, ARPost will be here to write about it.
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