The online platform Shift2Games is intended for anyone interested in stepping into the world of game development or seeking opportunities in one of the many sectors of the fastest-growing creative industry globally. This applies equally to those in the process of finding their first job and to those already working but looking to transition into the gaming industry. High school students, college students, young professionals, or experienced individuals – we believe you will all find useful information and content if you are interested in a professional path in the gaming industry.
This online platform is part of the broader Shift2Games project, backed by the Serbian Games Association (SGA), along with its numerous partners, members and sponsors, without whom such a project would not be possible. You can learn more about the SGA on the organization’s website and more about this project and the partners involved on the About the Project page.
We recognized a significant need for it and felt the desire to address it in the right way. We aim to raise awareness about the professional opportunities available in gaming and to help overcome the stigma present among older generations. We want to assist companies in attracting the best possible candidates for their job openings and to help you prepare as effectively as possible for those opportunities.
No! In addition to the website you’re on, our project includes a series of thematic TV shows that you can follow on the SK esports channel, as well as on the SGA YouTube channel. Every year, there is also a job fair for the gaming domain and other “creative-tech” areas. Serbian Games Association (SGA), Macedonian Game Industry Association (MGI), Bit Alliance from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BA), Monte Games from Montenegro (MG), Albanian Gaming Community (AGC) and Kosovo Game Developers (KGD) host these events, and there are also plans for a series of smaller events and workshops to help you better prepare for employment in the field of game development.
The website will receive new content in the future, so follow the organizations’ channels!
You can also follow the social media profiles of certain gaming companies that occasionally publish content on specific gaming positions, their similarities and differences.
No, no individual gaming company stands behind this website. However, the entire regional gaming industry is actually behind it, composed of gaming companies that are members of these associations: Serbian Games Association (SGA), Macedonian Game Industry Association (MGI), Bit Alliance from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BA), Monte Games from Montenegro (MG), Albanian Gaming Community (AGC) and Kosovo Game Developers (KGD).
Playing and creating video games are two entirely different things. Therefore, the focus here is not on specific games, genres, or companies, but on the people, skills and processes behind a good video game, whose development often takes years. Of course, we shouldn’t ignore the “bad” ones, because we learn best from mistakes. 🙂
Those who love to play games are certainly at an advantage when it comes to finding a job in this industry because user/player experience is always a priority, and entire teams work on very different aspects of a game to achieve the ultimate goal – for the player to enjoy, be inspired, and want to play the game to the end, or even play it multiple times.
You often read in the media that this is one of the fastest-growing industries globally, far surpassing the entire film and music industries combined in terms of value. Multiple times! Nearly half of the world’s population plays video games – we’ve surpassed the three billion player mark.
It’s a dynamic, highly creative industry that keeps pace with, but also creates, some of the key new technologies and innovations that have much broader applications. Earnings in the gaming industry are competitive, conditions are high-quality, companies are innovative and the professionals working in them are generally passionate about their work. Projects and products you work on may reach millions of players. Without good teamwork, there are no results and knowledge is generously shared. Developing both “hard” and “soft” skills is an integral part of the job. The gaming creator community is well-connected and always ready to support and help those who are at the beginning of their journey.
Some positions that may be familiar to you from other industries (design, IT, architecture, marketing, etc.) in the context of gaming can have a completely different character or function. For example, “game design” does not refer to any aspect of the game’s visual design (which is handled by numerous other positions in the art department), but rather to the conceptualization of the game itself, defining its genre, ideal player, dynamics, mechanics, systems…
That’s just one of many examples. Marketing, business development, user acquisition and other areas also have their specificities within gaming. That’s precisely one of the reasons why we created this website, which contains an index of professions divided by departments/sectors, as well as a detailed description of each, required competencies, tools used, interesting resources, etc.
The gaming industry is extremely multidisciplinary. This means that on a video game development project, you can encounter art, engineering, animation, 3D modeling, writing, business topics, legal aspects, economics, physics, mathematics, anthropology, psychology and numerous other professionals from both technical, artistic and humanistic disciplines. There are also many “support sectors” such as marketing, HR, or legal departments. Considering all this, we guarantee that there is a place for you in this industry, even if you don’t know a single line of code!
We plan to set up a so-called “self-test” on the homepage, through which anyone can – by answering 10-20 questions about their education, skills and preferences – receive suggestions about in which sectors of video game development positions and jobs most suitable for them are. This is not a definitive test of which gaming job you’re meant for, but rather a guideline that can point you towards positions you may not have known about or assumed you could work in.
A combination of formal and informal education is usually the winning one. But there are also enough self-taught passionate individuals in the industry who have acquired knowledge and skills on their own through dedicated work and practice. Some colleges offer courses or programs related to game development, and there are also training centers dedicated to hard skills (various software tools, etc.). You can learn more about this on the Education page.
Practice always teaches you best, so we suggest being proactive in seeking opportunities for internships or collaboration with more experienced mentors. You can also take up a personal project as a small challenge that will contribute to your portfolio (this especially applies to artistic and technical roles). For those already working in a complementary industry and wanting to “shift” towards video games, Serbian Games Association (SGA), Macedonian Game Industry Association (MGI), Bit Alliance from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BA), Monte Games from Montenegro (MG), Albanian Gaming Community (AGC) and Kosovo Game Developers (KGD) will organize events and workshops to help them on that path.
No, this website and project do not have that aim.
