Game development in Uzbekistan. How the East Games studio is developing the industry and what beginners should know

Akmal Salikhov, Director of Development at East Games

About Me

I have been working in the gamedev industry for many years and have long been involved in musical creativity. My journey began as a musician, and I gradually transitioned into the gaming industry, helping to create sound design for various projects. Later, over four to five years, I advanced from a sound engineer to a director position in a gaming company. My musical background has significantly influenced my work in games. This experience allows me to understand the game creation process at a deep level and successfully contribute to other projects.

About East Games

In the last five years, with the emergence of IT Park Uzbekistan, our country has been actively developing. East Games is a young studio from Uzbekistan, created by an international team of professionals. East Games has been in existence for a little over two years. Currently, the company is working on large projects but is not yet creating its own product. East Games participates in the development of games that are already popular among millions of players.

When you have a small startup in the gamedev industry in Uzbekistan, it is difficult to attract talents to the company due to the specifics of this industry in the region. I had my own specific method of attracting students and gamers to my small studio. This is an incubator that I launched almost five years ago, involving work with universities and other activities. Players from East Games learned about me through my activities in the gamedev field in Uzbekistan. Therefore, it was suggested to help the team grow faster and more effectively by offering development prospects. If I used to hire three to five people a year, now I plan to recruit 50-60 people. The projects have become larger, so a larger team is needed.

The Impact of East Games on Industry Development

When we talk about hiring two or three specialists for a small studio, that is one thing, but when you need to recruit a large team for a large studio with high employee requirements due to the scale of projects, it is quite another. The selection process must identify the most experienced specialists in the industry. Thanks to the presence of major players in the local market, it has become easier to determine the next steps.

In conditions of high employee requirements in the gaming industry, especially in regions where it is not as developed, companies have to solve staffing difficulties. For example, we faced a problem finding qualified 3D artists for game development. We solved this problem by organizing a three-month training course — Game Start. We attracted 40 participants, trained them, and offered internships. This approach helps us not only train new employees but also integrate them into our team.

Previously, internships in gaming studios were unpaid, but all our internships are paid and full-time. However, enthusiasm alone does not solve the problem of skill shortages, so we offer additional educational programs, such as online courses or bootcamps, to improve their qualifications.

Development of the gamedev Industry in Uzbekistan and Central Asia

In Uzbekistan, there are not many experiments with games in the local language yet, but I see some appearing on Google Play. Our market is not yet ready to pay in stores like Google Play, but advertising monetization is becoming increasingly popular. Advertising prices in Uzbekistan are increasing, making the launch of games in the Uzbek language more profitable. This opens up new opportunities for small teams to earn from in-app advertising.

I noticed that guys have started uploading their games to Yandex Games. If you can make a game for mobile, there is a high chance you can also make a version for web.

Virtual reality is becoming more popular, and more offline VR gaming clubs are opening in Uzbekistan. But, in my opinion, the most interesting aspect for entrepreneurs and startups is education. Uzbekistan has millions of schoolchildren and students, and likely many game creators who lack income from classic game development for Steam or Google Play will increasingly experiment with gamification in education. This is an area that remains largely unexplored and can offer many new opportunities.

How to Join East Games

There are several classic ways to get employed. For example, you can contact a headhunter.

The second option is our Telegram channel — East Games. This is probably the most convenient method for those who actively use Telegram. We strive to make it more informative, gradually adding information about available vacancies to it. On our Telegram channel, you can already see several current vacancies. Applying for vacancies is simple — just send a message to our colleagues on Telegram.

Requirements for candidates depend on the level of the position. The labor market in Uzbekistan and Central Asia is young, so job postings often specify "designer intern," "game designer intern," and so on. Usually, no work experience is required for such positions, but in art professions like 2D or 3D artist, a portfolio is necessary. Test assignments are common in almost all positions, and after the portfolio and test stage, there is an interview, which can be either offline or online. Based on the interview results, a decision is made, and if successful, an offer is extended.

Requirements for internships are minimal, but you need to provide a portfolio and complete test assignments. For middle and senior developers, the requirements are stricter. Job vacancies are often offered based on current labor market demand, especially in the small gaming industry.

How to Enter a Gamedev Studio

It is often easiest to enter the gaming industry through a tester position. If a person does not have specialized skills in drawing or programming but is passionate about games and wants to work in this field, testing becomes one of the most accessible paths. Many people who want to work in gamedev are avid gamers. A tester is an easy way to start a career in the gaming industry, as many companies offer positions with minimal experience requirements.

You can move from testing to game design or UI design. Skills in drawing and color perception can be useful in creating logos and user interface elements for games.

Gamedev offers a huge variety of professions — from writers and musicians to programmers. The main thing is that a person has a passion for games.

Who is a Tester

Unexpected situations often arise in games that are difficult to predict during development. Test scenarios in games are extremely diverse. For example, in a racing game with 20 cars, you need to test each car on a snowy track, considering their differences in size, wheel type, and movement physics. Such tests help identify various errors, such as incorrect car behavior in different conditions.

Game testing requires taking into account a large number of variations and specific scenarios, which is rare in other types of IT products. They check the game for various issues and can also identify new, unforeseen problems by other departments. Games are tested with all possible usage options, which can take a lot of time and lead to the discovery of many errors. Testing should begin at the very start of development and continue throughout the entire game creation process. In service-based games, testing is even more intensive, as new content is constantly released and requires verification before launch.