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The article was written by Katya Sabirova, the CEO and co-founder of InGame Job and PR and communications advisor at Values Worth.
How many individuals within the video games trade have their very own facet initiatives that they work on past their full-time jobs? Who’re they? What drives them to do it, and do they earn any further revenue from their ardour initiatives? How do they really feel about it, and what helps them keep away from burnout – if something does?
On this article, we’ll dive into these questions and discover the solutions.
Our foremost supply of knowledge is the Massive Video games Trade Employment Survey 2024, performed in Spring 2024. The complete report is now obtainable without cost on the InGame Job portal.
Among the many 1,800+ survey members, almost 40% mentioned they’ve a facet undertaking.
Who within the recreation trade has facet initiatives?
In accordance with our survey, senior-level specialists have the best share of these engaged on facet initiatives – 34%. Mid-level professionals comply with carefully behind – 29%. Amongst crew leads and C-level professionals, round 13% to 14% are engaged in facet initiatives.
To find out which specialists usually tend to work on facet initiatives, we divided our survey pattern into two geographic teams: EU nations (which additionally consists of the UK and Switzerland) and non-EU European nations.
We discovered this distinction vital due to a speculation – corporations within the EU are likely to implement stricter rules on workers, akin to obligatory workplace attendance or hybrid work insurance policies.
This might go away much less room for artistic pursuits outdoors of labor. Moreover, full-time workers within the EU could face restrictions stopping them from engaged on recreation initiatives that would, in idea, compete with their employer’s merchandise.
Because the chart under exhibits, our speculation is extra possible confirmed than not: professionals in non-EU nations are extra engaged in facet recreation initiatives. Artists are essentially the most lively on this area (10% in non-EU nations vs. 7% within the EU). Round 7% to 9% of programmers and recreation designers additionally channel their creativity into recreation improvement alongside their full-time jobs.
Are these specialists loyal to their employer?
How engaged are professionals engaged on facet initiatives of their full-time jobs? How loyal are they to their employer? One key metric that helps reply these questions is eNPS.
eNPS (Worker Web Promoter Rating) is a metric used to measure worker satisfaction and loyalty by asking how possible they’re to suggest their employer to others. It helps corporations gauge engagement and determine areas for enchancment. eNPS is reported with a quantity from -100 to +100. A better rating is fascinating.
Tanja Loktionova, Founder at Values Worth, Co-Founder at InGame Job:
“For me, the Pet Initiatives query on this report stands out as one of the vital vital. It’s a key indicator of present trade tendencies. Practically 40% of respondents have a Pet Mission, which exhibits that the trade attracts passionate people who work on video games each professionally and of their spare time.
“Nonetheless, this pattern may also sign dissatisfaction with their present work, whether or not it is the style, platform, or employer. A decrease eNPS (worker Web Promoter Rating) amongst these with Pet Initiatives suggests they might be much less glad with their main job or undertaking. In distinction, these with out Pet Initiatives are likely to have a a lot greater eNPS.
“This might additionally spotlight how difficult it’s to develop initiatives not based mostly on fashionable IPs or backed by main manufacturers or companies. Many within the trade may not totally imagine within the success of their present initiatives, even when these align with their pursuits.
“It’s significantly placing that so many individuals are engaged in Pet Initiatives in 2024, because the trade continues to be recovering from years of layoffs. With lowered assist for brand spanking new groups and harder funding situations, persons are nonetheless discovering methods to create their very own video games.
“This will even be linked to advances in AI, which have made recreation improvement sooner and extra inexpensive.”
What about earnings?
Having a pet undertaking doesn’t essentially imply having extra revenue. Nonetheless, generally a pet undertaking can generate income.
We requested respondents about any revenue past their full-time wage – whether or not from their pet undertaking or freelancing – and the outcomes have been fairly attention-grabbing. Under, you’ll discover a chart exhibiting the median annual earnings in euro of mid-level professionals.
Private tales from these engaged on pet initiatives: what really drives them, and what helps them keep away from burnout?
We requested three recreation trade professionals concerning the initiatives they’re engaged on – each of their full-time jobs and as a passion. How do their employers really feel about it? What motivates them? And the way do they deal with burnout?
Stefan Szymczyk, author and narrative designer:
“Proper now, my full-time job is engaged on the Rijoca undertaking. To this point, there’s the guide Rijoca – The Pygmalion Advanced, an journey novel about thieves, chess, and diamonds.
My pet undertaking is P vs NP, a narrative-driven recreation set in an alternate model of the Nineteen Seventies. The sport follows a brutal scientific conflict over a groundbreaking invention, with the participant going through excessive environmental challenges, lethal enemies, and their very own lack of training. It’s a mixture of survival, sci-fi, and thriller.
“My foremost motivation is artistic expression. I really like telling tales in several mediums, and facet initiatives give me the liberty to experiment with new concepts. Whereas further revenue is at all times good, what actually drives me is the problem and pleasure of bringing distinctive narratives to life.
“Burnout is at all times a danger when dealing with a number of initiatives. I attempt to keep away from it by balancing structured work with artistic breaks, switching between initiatives to maintain issues recent, and setting practical deadlines. Ardour retains me going, however I additionally know when to step again and recharge.
“I’ve full management over my schedule and initiatives. My facet initiatives don’t compete with my foremost work – they complement it, letting me discover completely different storytelling strategies with out battle.”
Maksim Kurtlatskov, recreation producer and product supervisor / Xsolla, ex-Nexters:
“My final full-time undertaking was an RPG battler. My pet undertaking is Dunland: Survivors’ Story – a low-poly ecosystem sim with RPG and roguelite components, developed for PC (Steam).
“That is my artistic outlet – an area the place I can categorical myself and construct a story that feels significant. In my foremost job, I take a really ‘producer-oriented’ strategy, the place profitability is the highest precedence. However recreation improvement isn’t nearly revenue – it’s additionally about which means, and that’s one thing I miss in my full-time work.
“I attempt to maintain a wholesome work-life steadiness and recurrently test in with myself about my workload. If I begin feeling overwhelmed at my foremost job, I put my pet undertaking on maintain. I don’t set strict deadlines or push too arduous if progress is sluggish. The draw back of this strategy is that it makes constructing a crew tough – I generally disappear because the undertaking’s visionary and idea-holder.
“My employer is okay with it. Aspect initiatives are widespread within the trade and are sometimes seen as a strategy to develop new expertise and experience.”
Serge Polishchuk, developer, undertaking supervisor and supply supervisor:
“I at present work at a startup the place we develop so-called skill-based video games. What I really like about my job is that I’m 100% concerned in designing the algorithms for our video games. I actually don’t know if there’s something extra attention-grabbing. However I’ve at all times had the urge to code one thing only for myself.
“I’ve two pet initiatives. One is a system for delivering odds from the supply to shoppers’ browsers utilizing WebSocket and C/C++. Not many individuals know how you can implement this correctly, which is why you typically see sportsbook web sites the place the chances ‘freeze’ – they don’t replace in time, permitting gamers to put bets on outdated odds and make straightforward cash. The on line casino, however, loses cash, and if this occurs too typically, it will definitely shuts down as a result of it turns into ‘unprofitable’.
“My different pet undertaking is a backend for on line casino video games – slots, Plinko, tabletop video games, and so forth. I recreate present video games and give you new ones.
“Recently, I haven’t been spending a lot time on these initiatives since my full-time job already provides me loads of technical challenges.
“Do my pet initiatives convey me any revenue? No, as a result of I’m neither a designer nor a salesman. I can construct one thing practical and high-quality, however making it visually interesting and promoting it? That’s past me.
“As for burnout, I don’t see it as a danger. I’ve discovered my very own technique – once I get uninterested in one undertaking, I change to a different, then come again to the primary one later. It’s a dependable system, examined through the years.
“Does my employer learn about my facet initiatives? Effectively, earlier than this text – no. However not as a result of I used to be hiding something. My pet initiatives are only a pure a part of my life, like going to the theatre or taking a stroll within the park. Nobody would criticise me for mentioning that I’m going to the health club, proper?”
The brand new Massive Video games Trade Employment Survey 2025 is already revealed. We invite everybody to participate in it! The extra responses we acquire, the extra thrilling knowledge InGame Job & Values Worth can have for evaluation and for sharing.