Sony invests huge money in video games, Microsoft also plays big when the metaverse is on the throne

Recent hot deals in the video game industry show that the race for experienced game developer talent is fiercer than ever, especially as metaverse trends push companies in Other industries enter the race to search for talent.

With the $3.6 billion acquisition of Bungie, Sony Corporation has set its sights on the talent force responsible for creating franchises with worldwide fan bases, such as Destiny and Halo.

After that, Sony is expected to continue to spend $1.2 billion towards retaining about 900 Bungie employees. Sony Interactive Entertainment will purchase privately held shares of Bungie from employees, and provide additional compensation for several years to maintain operations following the acquisition.

The deal “is structured to encourage shareholders and other creative talent to continue working at Bungie after the deal closes,” Sony’s Chief Financial Officer Hiroki Totoki said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Microsoft highlighted Activision Blizzard’s “world-class talent” this January when it announced plans to spend $68.7 billion buying developers, whose roughly 10,000 Activision Blizzard employees are focused primarily on developers. weak in North America and Europe.

According to Microsoft, the metaverse is where the physical and digital worlds come together, although it’s very much in its infancy. The idea is that you will wear virtual reality glasses and your own digital avatar (avatar) will interact with others at work and play in a combination of virtual and augmented reality.

Microsoft has made it clear with its planned $68.7 billion (£50.6 billion) acquisition of Activision Blizzard that it hopes gaming will be a key feature of this new world, with Satya Nadella, Microsoft president and CEO, said that gaming “will play an important role in the development of the metaverse platform”. If the metaverse is a role-playing world, then games – titles like Roblox and Minecraft (owned by Microsoft, for example) will bring that experience to the participants.

Of course, there are immediate benefits for Microsoft, which will have access to Activision’s 390 million monthly users and huge game franchises like Call of Duty and Warcraft. Microsoft owns the Xbox gaming platform and Activision’s games and talent will help the company in its battle against Sony’s PlayStation and Meta’s VR platform gaming services, Oculus.

And while Activision Blizzard and Bungie are primarily focused on traditional screen-based gaming, both are owned by companies that have made significant investments in virtual reality through Microsoft’s Windows Mixed Reality platform and Sony’s PlayStation VR. As the metaverse story continues to evolve, the relationship with Microsoft and Sony’s gaming platforms will continue to grow each year.

As can be seen, the acquisition of game studios with a proven track record is one of the ways that companies are competing for talent, in order to secure a larger share of the video game market. developing. By some estimates, the global market for video games has grown to around $200 billion, fueled by the Covid-19 pandemic that has kept consumers at home.

Paying is another big motivator. According to data from job search site Indeed – wages for game developers average over $90,000 a year in the US – about 30% higher than the national average set by the Organization for Co-operation and Development. Supply Economics.

In Japan, Capcom is increasing the base salary for the average full-time employee by 30%, and Sega is offering performance-related compensation.

The rise of the metaverse has made the competition more intense. Citigroup sees the metaverse economy as likely to grow to $13 trillion by 2030. Facebook says it plans to hire 10,000 people in Europe alone to “help build the metaverse economy.”

Skills honed in the game industry can easily be leveraged in metaverse applications. Experienced staff can use CGI tools to create virtual spaces and create digital avatars (avatars) based on real characters or people, or analyze user activity to help keep it going. service action.

As more and more companies see the metaverse as a new way to connect with consumers, game developers have the opportunity to use their talents in different industries. A Nike job posting for “3D game designer/metaverse engineer” seeks years of game development experience along with an understanding of “the latest gaming trends, techniques, and technologies”.

In addition, the virtual space experience that simulates real-world physics can be used in many areas related to reality simulation, according to the head of autonomous driving system development. Japanese auto parts maker Denso, which also has experience in the gaming industry.

Kazuki Harada at Mynavi Creator- a recruitment service run by Japan’s Mynavi Works, sees experience in the game industry as a potential source for a lifetime career, for the creation of talent in the field. this area. But “many developers didn’t realize that experience in game production could be used in other areas,” Harada said.