‘Sky’s the limit’: Playthrough convention highlights gaming as a pathway to a career
By Carly Haynes
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North Carolina (WRAL) — All the time your kid spends playing video games may just get them a college scholarship or a high-paying job, and North Carolina is poised to create a workforce in a booming community.
The Playthrough Gaming Convention wrapped up its two-day stint in Raleigh on Sunday. The convention, according to Visit Raleigh, is a weekend-long extravaganza showcasing the latest games and providing an opportunity for gamers to meet others with similar passions.
From video games, eSports, tabletop games and playtesting new creations, the convention had something for everyone.
One person in attendance was Robert Heck, whose passion for the racing game Gran Turismo 7 landed him in the international spotlight.
“I’ve traveled all across Europe doing this for the past year now,” Heck said. “I’ve been one of the best drivers in North America.”
Simulation and game design is one of the fastest-growing careers, with job markets expecting the demand for skilled game designers to grow 18% by 2030.
“Especially indie games, that’s really growing,” said one attendee. “There’s a lot of really great indie games coming out.”
Raleigh schools are also trying to tap into the multibillion-dollar industry. William Peace University, North Carolina State University and Wake Technical Community College all offer specialized programs in game design. Michael Statum, an eSports scout with Louisburg College. Statum said the school is offering $5,000 scholarships for eSports tournament champions to join the school’s program.
NC State is also becoming a major regional hub for video games. The university, with help from the North Carolina General Assembly, plans to build a multimillion-dollar eSports arena on its campus by late 2026.
“The sky’s the limit right now,” Statum said.” What we’re trying to emphasize is that there’s different avenues within the esports realm that have a career path within it. Whether it’s software design, hardware design, video game simulation design, graphic design, content creation or videography.”
With three of the top major game developers in Wake County, people can take their skills straight from the screen to a job in the Triangle.
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