Video-games industry is not the high-paying sector many think

With about three billion people said to play at least occasionally and estimated industry revenues of more than €200 billion this year, the video-gaming industry now generates a multiple of what the movie business does.

In Ireland thousands of jobs have been created in the sector, helped by section 481 film industry-scale tax breaks.

Given the amount of money pouring in, then, there should be huge opportunity for skilled workers with an interest in the end product to land the job of their dreams.

Somehow, it doesn’t quite seem to be working out that way.

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A survey of workers in the sector carried out by Game Workers Unite (GWU), a branch of the Financial Services Union, published this week finds almost two-thirds have had direct experience of low pay while more than half report long hours and job insecurity.

The union acknowledges some progress has been made within the sector since its last big attempt to gauge opinion in 2021, but the findings suggest there is still some way to go.

Though the largest single age group among the respondents is between 30-40, more than 90 per cent are under 40 and so it is a generally young workforce.

That the survey suggests almost a third earn less than €36,000 is more of a surprise, with another quarter on salaries of €36,000-€48,000.

Given those numbers, and the fact that many of those employed here have moved to Ireland for the work, it seems somewhat inevitable that housing features in the findings. About 70 per cent of respondents said they spent more than 30 per cent of their income on accommodation and some 15 per cent suggested it used up more than half of their salary.

The figures for healthcare and pension provision might be regarded as more positive, at 65 per cent and 53 per cent respectively, but only half say their employer provides a secure contract and 7 per cent say they have none of these things.

Having taken what might once have appeared to have been an irresistible career path, some in the sector may find themselves wishing they had more lives to play with and the opportunity to start over.