The games people play, is now serious business. So much so that iQOO, a subsidiary of Chinese consumer electronics company Vivo, has introduced a new position—chief gaming officer. Open to gaming enthusiasts aged 18-25, the chief gaming officer will collaborate closely with the team at iQOO to develop gaming-friendly smartphones, shaping design, features and marketing strategies for the brand. And 50,000 gamers have already signed up for a shot at the position.
Interestingly, this is an India-first initiative by the company.
The domestic market for online gaming, where 85 percent of players use their mobile phones, is estimated to grow to $2 billion in 2023 at a compound annual growth rate of 22 percent, according to EY. In 2021, EY had said that by creating 11,000 jobs, the e-sports segment in India was estimated to generate around Rs 10000 crore of economic value for the country between 2021 and 2025. While plenty of jobs in the gaming and e-sports space have already been created, it looks like allied industries are also opening up to create innovative roles to cater to this growing ecosystem.
Hence the iQOO gambit. With a half-yearly pay cheque of Rs 10 lakh, the chief gaming officer would be taking home almost double the average salary for an entry-level engineer in India. But how will a gamer under the age of 25 help a smartphone brand grow?
This is a step taken towards the brand’s commitment to youth-driven innovation.
“We are a brand that believes in not just selling to Gen Z (Those born between1997 and 2012) but sourcing ideas from them, co-creating with them, and gaming is the epitome of performance for a smartphone used by the same segment of buyers. If a phone excels in gaming, it is well-suited for day-to-day power needs,” said Nipun Marya, CEO of iQOO India.
Marya explained that hiring a chief gaming officer from their fan base and the Gen Z generation would provide valuable insights to enhance gaming experiences and fulfil evolving needs of their target audience. “We thought, why don’t we actually get somebody on board? It is a true representation of Gen Z within the organisation,” Marya added.
The criteria for the role is fairly simple, said Marya. “You should be between 18 and 25 years old, and from a skill perspective, we are only looking for two things: gaming proficiency and passion for gaming. The candidate also needs to effectively express themselves, as they would be the voice of the Gen Z community within the organisation,” he said.
“We want this person to bring valuable inputs, perspectives from personal experiences and their network, and even participate in research with us,” he added.
The fun part is this will not be a strict nine-to-five job. The chief gaming officer will have access to devices in the pre-launch phase and their input on the device’s performance when it comes to gaming will be used to make the offering better before it hits the market.
The role of the chief gaming officer encompasses both product and marketing aspects.
“In product, we welcome suggestions in various areas like product definition, hardware, software, value additions and third-party partnerships. And their perspectives will also be useful in shaping the product’s direction,” Marya explained.
Additionally, the CGO’s input will extend to consumer-facing elements such as creative content, films and decision-making processes.
As it turns out, there will also be a jury involved with top gamers on the panel for shortlisting the candidate.
In terms of launches, iQOO has been teasing the upcoming Neo 7 Pro smartphone which will be launched in the Indian market soon.