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www.siliconrepublic.com/careers-centrewww.siliconrepu CAREERS CENTRECARE GAMING


Breaking into the games industry


The games industry is growing hugely in Ireland, with plenty of companies hiring right now. LAURA O’BRIEN finds out what it takes to land a dream job in this field


Demonware, Jolt Online Gaming, PopCap Games, Havok and Gala Networks all have offices. A survey carried out by Aphra Kerr from


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National University of Ireland, Maynooth and Anthony Cawley from University of Limerick showed a 400pc increase in employment in the games industry in Ireland from 2002 to 2009. For 2011, IDA Ireland predicts 9,000 to


10,000 digital jobs as a result of foreign investment, with particular growth for gaming. Even by taking a quick glance at jobs boards online, numerous games com- panies are searching for skilled employ- ees who are passionate about the industry.


PopCap Games One such company that’s hiring is PopCap Games. The casual gaming company behind titles such as Bejeweled and Plants vs Zombies has benefited hugely from the meteoric rise of mobile and social games. It plans to double its workforce in Ireland, pushing it up to 110 employees in the next three years. Currently, PopCap Games is looking for C++ and Flash engineers. I spoke with Viktorya Hollings, senior


director of PopCap’s Mobile Games Studio, and John Halloran, engineering manager, about what it’s like to work for the company. “PopCap Games is pretty young and multicul-


tural. It’s quite fast paced with a lot of changes – new platforms, new technologies and new games – and that’s one of the most exciting things about working here,” explains Halloran. “You’re working on cutting-edge technology, so there is a lot of opportunity for growth,” he says. “We like people to have fun at work because


we believe that if you’re having fun then that will come across in our games, so we make sure people are happy and that they’re looked after,” adds Hollings. Considering how popular gaming has become, many people dream of breaking into the industry and making a career out of what they love. So what kind of individual does PopCap Games look for when hiring? “We’re looking for two types of people – we’re


looking for people who like innovating on technol- ogy, but we also want people who have games expe- rience and are really enthusiastic about games and have either made them professionally or have a lot of games portfolio work showing their creativity,” explains Halloran. “If they’re a technology person, then the thing


they want to do most is innovate and work on cool technology such as a new phone or new hardware. They’re the kind of people we want, to bring us forward on new platforms.


AMING has become a powerful in- dustry, growing from a niche pas- time to a multi-billion euro mar- ket. Such rapid growth has brought great opportunities, particularly in Ireland where companies such as


“If you’re a games person, usually you have


a portfolio of games you’ve worked on. That enthusiasm in making games shows through, but you can be separate from a technology person – someone who understands the creative side of making games,” Halloran says. Hollings points out that showing enthusiasm


for the industry is a particularly powerful way of making yourself stand out. “You need to learn what you can from prospective companies in your area, play their games, offer to do work experience and intern programmes. It’s about showing that en- thusiasm,” she says. “A lot of people here do live and breathe


games, no matter what department they’re in, although you don’t need to be a hardcore gamer playing endlessly each night. We do make casual games and we can make gamers out of everyone.”


Gaming sector and skills Indeed, even though people with gaming skills are highly in demand, the gaming industry is still quite new in Ireland. Many companies have only started up or located here relatively recently and many courses have only just started, making it difficult to fill positions that require a lot of experience. “It’s harder to find people in Ireland, so it’s


about finding someone with the enthusiasm and the portfolio,” Halloran notes. Newer graduates produced by these games


courses are starting out strong. PopCap Games works with many courses for its intern pro- gramme, which Halloran says has produced great junior candidates. The company takes on two or three candidates a year and usually ends up hiring them when they’ve finished their education. “For programmers, go to college and


focus on all aspects of software engineering,” advises Halloran. “For those without experience or for junior people, the most important thing is to have a great portfolio. “And for more senior people with experi-


ence, it’s about showing that experience plus a passion and enthusiasm for making games.”


Havok Havok is another company in the gaming industry that is hiring. Founded in Dublin in 1998, it provides interactive software and servic- es such as physics engines and animation tools that have been seen in many high-profile titles, including Halo 3, Assassin’s Creed and Portal 2. Havok is currently hiring for computer


science and engineering positions. According to Dave Gargan, VP of engineering at Havok, much of the work at the company involves problem-solving. “What we tend to work on day to day is prob-


lems, usually around how people use our soft- ware to create new effects in games. That could be anything from people trying to create a huge


‘You need to learn what you can from prospective companies in your area. Play their games, offer to do work experience and intern programmes. It’s about showing that enthusiasm’


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