Gaming

Mario would earn £32,895 as an Italian plumber – which video game characters would be the richest if they had real-life jobs?

Published

3 years ago

April 21, 2022

Reading Time: 5 minutes

At the top of the rich list is Borderland’s corporate president ‘Handsome Jack’ with an equally handsome salary of £333,043 per year.
Super Mario ranks among the lowest earners, taking home £32,895 per year on a typical plumber’s salary in Italy.
Pac-Man earns the lowest salary of all characters as a security guard in Japan, bringing in just £15,916 per year.

From Super Mario to Lara Croft, have you ever wondered where your favorite video game protagonists and villains would rank in the real-world job market?

Online gaming platform Solitaired looked at some of the world’s most iconic video game characters and calculated how much each would earn if they landed their real-world dream job. They based character earnings on data from salary comparison sites as well as publicly available pay bands to find an average yearly salary for more than 50 video game characters.

Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

Video Games’ Highest Earners

Handsome Jack, Borderlands 2

At the top spot is Borderland’s narcissistic bad-guy, Handsome Jack, who would take home an eye watering £333,043 per year as a corporate CEO. While Hyperion Corp is fortunately yet to be founded, it seems only fitting that as the fictional president of an intergalactic weapons manufacturer and supplier, Jack would take home such a huge paycheck.

Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid

In at second place is Metal Gear Solid’s eye-patch sporting Solid Snake, who would take home an impressive salary of £107,517 per year as a Special Forces Soldier for the US Army. Snake, who boasts an impressive military career, was initially inducted into the Green Berets during his teenage years before later joining Big Boss’ special forces unit, FOXHOUND, meaning he would be substantially compensated for his acquired specialist skills.

Albert Wesker, Resident Evil

In third place is Resident Evil’s Albert Wesker, who would earn a salary of £90,519 per year as a virologist. Having graduated at 17 with a doctorate in Virology, Wesker originally began his training with Umbrella Pharmaceuticals and was later transferred to the Arklay Laboratory as a senior researcher working on the t-Virus project, following the disbanding of his training school.

Alex Mason, Call of Duty

In fourth place is Call of Duty veteran and fan favorite, Alex Mason. Mason is unlikely to have trouble remembering these numbers, as he stacks up an impressive £82,317 per year as an Intelligence Analyst for the CIA. Mason, who makes his first appearance as the main playable character in Call of Duty: Black Ops, joined the CIA Operation 40 squad in 1958 and continued to carry out several missions for the CIA despite his imprisonment and brainwashing at Vorkuta.

Max Payne, Max Payne

In fifth place is the titular action avenger Max Payne, who would earn £75,922 per year as a police detective in New York City. Payne began his police career in the 1990s, working for the NYPD as a detective before joining DEA colleague Alex Balder on the Valkyr drug case, following the brutal murder of his wife and daughter in 1998.

The 20 Highest Earning Video Game Characters

Rank	Video Game Character	Video Game	Job/Occupation	Yearly Salary (£)	Yearly Salary ($)
1.	Handsome Jack	Borderlands 2	CEO	£333,043	$432,524
2.	Solid Snake	Metal Gear Solid	Special Forces Soldier	£107,517	$139,632
3.	Albert Wesker	Resident Evil	Virologist	£90,519	$117,557
4.	Alex Mason	Call of Duty	CIA Operative	£82,317	$106,905
5.	Max Payne	Max Payne	NYPD Detective	£75,922	$98,600
6.	Cole Phelps	LA Noire	LAPD Detective	£71,846	$93,306
7.	Gordon Freeman	Half-Life	Research Associate Scientist	£70,145	$91,097
8.	Arthur Morgan	Red Dead Redemption 2	Bounty Hunter	£69,750	$90,585
9.	Mortimer Goth	The Sims	Scientist	£69,076	$89,709
10.	Isaac Clarke	Dead Space	Engineer	£64,859	$84,232
11.	Duke Nukem	Duke Nukem	CIA Special Agent	£62,837	$81,607
12.	CJ Johnson	Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas	Entrepreneur	£59,626	$77,436
13.	Bella Goth	The Sims	Intelligence Researcher	£58,363	$75,796
14.	Michael De Santa	Grand Theft Auto V	Film Producer	£54,563	$70,861
15.	Leon S Kennedy	Resident Evil	Police Officer	£54,113	$70,276
16.	Homer Simpson	Simpson’s Hit and Run	Nuclear Technician	£53,629	$69,648
17.	Master Chief	Halo	Master Chief Petty Officer	£53,491	$69,469
18.	Doom Slayer	Doom	Marine’s Master Gunnery Sergeant	£53,490	$69,468
19.	Sam Fisher	Splinter Cell	Navy Seal	£48,729	$63,284
20.	Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine	Resident Evil	SWAT Team Member	£48,158	$62,543

Video Games’ Lowest Earners

Pac-Man, Pac-Man

At the bottom of the list, Pac-Man take the spot as the lowest earner, with a salary of just £15,916 per year as a security guard in Japan – where the character first debuted. While the creators don’t specify that Pac-Man has a job per se, the role seems fitting given the Namco classic shows the yellow sprite navigating through mazes trying to get rid of unwanted ghost intruders.

Link, Legend of Zelda

Second from the bottom is Legend of Zelda’s hero and protagonist, Link, who would earn only £19,661 per year as a knight – if the job were to still exist. A knight was paid an average of two shillings per day during the 1200s, which means that Link would take home just over £19k when taking into consideration currency conversions and increases in inflation.

Cloud Strife, Final Fantasy VII

The third lowest earner is Cloud Strife from the Final Fantasy series who would earn £19,964 per year as a Private First-Class Soldier in the US Army. Cloud was unsuccessful in joining SOLDIER, instead becoming a Shinra infantryman, hence justifying the lower pay band for our sword wielding fighter.

Desmond Miles, Assassin’s Creed

As the fourth lowest earner in the list, Assassin’s Creed’s modern day main character, Desmond Miles, would earn just £21,408 per year as a bartender in New York City. Desmond, who is the descendant of a long line of assassins, used his training to hitchhike to New York City, where he worked as a bartender at Bad Weather before his eventual capture.

Ryu, Street Fighter

At fifth from the bottom is the main character of the Street Fighter series, Ryu, who would bring home just £21,723 as a martial arts instructor in Japan. Ryu made his first appearance in Capcom’s original Street Fighter game in 1987, and while his name roughly translates to ‘plentiful’ in Japanese, the same cannot be said for his expected salary.

The 20 Lowest Earning Video Game Characters

Rank	Video Game Character	Video Game	Job/Occupation	Yearly Salary (£)	Yearly Salary ($)
1	Pac-Man	Pac-Man	Security Guard	£15,916	$20,670
2	Link	Legend of Zelda	Knight	£19,661	$25,533
3	Cloud Strife	Final Fantasy	Private First-Class Soldier	£19,964	$25,927
4	Desmond Miles	Assassin’s Creed	Bartender	£21,408	$27,802
5	Ryu	Street Fighter	Martial Arts Instructor	£21,723	$28,212
6	Marcus Fenix	Gears of War	Army Sergeant	£24,119	$31,324
7	Don Lothario	The Sims	Medical Intern	£24,784	$32,187
8	Geralt of Rivia	The Witcher	Pest Controller	£24,906	$32,345
9	Niko Bellic	Grand Theft Auto IV	Taxi Driver	£25,521	$33,144
10	Lightning	Final Fantasy	Security Guard	£29,084	$37,771
11	Crash Bandicoot	Crash Bandicoot	Bodyguard	£29,670	$38,533
12	John Marston	Red Dead Redemption	Rancher	£32,770	$42,559
13	Mario	Super Mario Bros	Plumber	£32,895	$42,721
14	Tom Nook	Animal Crossing	Real Estate Agent	£33,812	$43,912
15	Isabelle	Animal Crossing	Secretary	£34,071	$44,248
16	Freddy Fazbear	Five Nights at Freddy’s	Mascot	£35,078	$45,556
17	Captain John ‘Soap’ MacTavish	Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare	Army Sergeant	£35,953	$46,692
18	Booker DeWitt	Bioshock Infinite	Private Investigator	£36,000	$46,753
19	Spyro	Spyro the Dragon	Jeweler	£36,516	$47,424
20	Sonic the Hedgehog	Sonic the Hedgehog	Professional Athlete	£36,592	$47,522

Honorable Mentions

Some character earnings meant that they ranked elsewhere in the list, however some are so iconic that it would be a shame to miss them out entirely.

Given Super Mario’s Italian heritage, he would earn a salary of £32,895 working as a plumber in Italy, ranking him 41^st in the list. Elsewhere in Europe, Tomb Raider’s female lead Lara Croft ranks 27^th, earning a salary of £41,998 working as a British archaeologist.

While Sonic the Hedgehog isn’t currently on the job hunt, based on his ability to run at supersonic speeds, it is only fitting that he would earn a salary of £36,592 as a professional athlete. Although he may have to wait a few years before he is eligible to earn, as the creators suggest he is only 15 years old.

Pokémon’s Pikachu would be perfectly suited to a job as a detective given his latest movie role, earning him £37,282 per year – although considering his element type, he would also make for a great electrician. His trainer and best friend, Ash Ketchum, would just top Pikachu’s earnings, taking home £41,327 as a Research Fellow for Professor Cerise.

Gaming

Physics-Based Strategy Meets Mixed Reality: Battle Orb Redefines Competitive Gaming

Published

6 days ago

May 7, 2025

George Miller

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

MixRift unveils brand new strategic PvP arena gaming experience

MixRift, an innovative mixed reality (MR) gaming developer, today announced the official launch of Battle Orb, a competitive strategy game which invites players to challenge each other and transform their physical surroundings into dynamic battlefields. Available now for Meta Quest platforms, Battle Orb represents the next evolution in mutli-player MR gaming.

A first PvP game for MixRift, Battle Orb allows players to step into immersive arenas where physical and digital worlds collide. Skill meets chaos in this fast-paced multiplayer strategy game, which challenges players to aim, shoot, and dominate with speed and precision across customized battlefields, combining tactical thinking with physics-based gameplay. Every hit counts as players collide, strategise and outplay opponents from around the world, from the comfort of their own homes. Players can compete in 2-player or 4-player battles, earn trophies, unlock and upgrade powerful units, and master unique arenas to climb the leaderboard.

“With Battle Orb, we’re not just launching a game, we’re basically turning your living room into a fantasy battleground.” said Bobby Voicu, CEO of MixRift. “We wanted to create something where anyone can jump in and start having fun in seconds, but that you could also master and keep replaying. I think this is what the future of gaming looks like, and it’s a blast!”

Key Features:

HD Graphics: Cutting-edge MR design technology creates a truly immersive gaming experience
Creative Character Options: Choose from tens of monsters, creatures, and cartoons to play with – each one zanier than the last
Real-Time PvP Action: Face-off in 2-player or 4-player matches full of high-stakes action
Physics Meets Strategy: Master the perfect angle, power, and timing to outmaneuver opponents, and perfect your shots to climb through the ranks
Unique Units & Powers: Earn wins and open loot chests to unlock and upgrade special characters and abilities
Environmental Integration: Scale your battlefield to fit any space, turning living rooms into competitive arenas
Competitive Progression: Climb global leaderboards through a rewarding rank system and prove you’re the righteous winner

The game’s intuitive controls ensure players of all skill levels can jump in immediately, while the strategic elements provide long-term engagement for competitive gamers. Battle Orb’s intuitive and quick matchmaking system means players are matched with others in similar ranks within seconds.

Battle Orb has been designed with comfort and safety in mind, earning a “Comfortable” rating and PEGI 3 classification, making it appropriate for players of all ages while still delivering compelling gameplay for serious competitors.

“We’ve created Battle Orb to be a really special mixed-reality competitive experience,” said Voicu. “The way it transforms your physical environment into a strategic battlefield creates moments of gaming magic that simply aren’t possible in traditional formats.”

Availability:
Battle Orb is available now on the Meta Quest Store for Meta Quest 3S, Meta Quest 3, and Meta Quest 2 platforms. The game requires an internet connection for its online features.

For more information, visit https://mixrift.com/ or follow MixRift on social media for updates, tournaments, and community highlights.

The post Physics-Based Strategy Meets Mixed Reality: Battle Orb Redefines Competitive Gaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Asia

Gaming in India – The Rise of a New Billion-dollar Economic Powerhouse

Published

6 days ago

May 6, 2025

Peter Tolan

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

(In order of appearance from left to right)

India is on the brink of witnessing a gaming revolution that is shaping the global industry. With 590 million gamers and industry projections estimating the market to reach INR 66,000 crores at a growth rate of 14.5%, as compared to the global growth of 8% (CAGR). India is now poised to become a billion dollar gaming powerhouse outpacing growth globally.

A large contributor to this sea change is mobile gaming. India has now become the second-largest mobile gaming market by downloads, with figures 3.5 times higher than the US or Brazil. As per a recent Lumikai report, 23 million new gamers from the country joined in FY24, with weekly playtime shooting up by a notable 30%. Backed by $2.8 billion in investments and significant job creation potential, gaming is becoming a key pillar of India’s digital economy.

Nitish Mittersain, CEO & Joint MD at Nazara Technologies, says that the evolution exceeds beyond mere numbers. He underscores, “In a world where gaming is becoming a cultural and economic force, India is no longer just a consumer market, but also becoming a maker. With scale, talent, and strategic capital, Indian companies are rewriting the rules, growing from local leaders to global powerhouses.”

The country’s mobile-first ecosystem, enormous internet penetration, and tech-savvy youth have made it a fertile ground for gaming, while what’s also changing is how games are being made, distributed, and funded.

According to Anuj Tandon, Partner India & UAE at BITKRAFT Ventures, “The Indian gaming industry is experiencing a significant resurgence. A large talent pool and innovative narrative developers are fostering ecosystem expansion, leading to the creation of globally marketable games. Recognizing the emerging prominence of the Indian market, BITKRAFT is looking to make strategic investments to support its development as a vital contributor to the international gaming & entertainment sector.”

With the gaming sector in India empowering the larger community, content, and creators across the country, games are increasingly interactive among larger audiences, and platforms are working to intrigue new-age streamers and influencers from tier 2 & 3 cities in India.

Speaking about the shift in the Indian gaming market, Piyush, Founder & CEO of Rooter, “India has witnessed a significant surge in in-app purchases by gamers over the past three years, driving industry revenue growth at a 40% CAGR. Once a challenging market to monetize, improved micro-transaction behavior and effective pricing strategies are now encouraging gamers to spend more for enhanced experiences. Content creators are leveraging streaming platforms like Rooter to collaborate with publishers and raise awareness about games and their assets. Over the last two years, Rooter has unlocked multiple monetization channels, engaging with over 100 brands, numerous gaming publishers, global platforms, and gift card partners to create scalable revenue opportunities.”

The rise in engagement is paving the way for real business opportunities. Casual games particularly have opened new doors for monetization via in-app purchases, ads, partnerships, and sponsorships especially when game access is embedded seamlessly into daily routine platforms.

Yashash Agarwal, CEO & Co-founder of Gamezop, explains, “The world is waking up to where the real action in gaming lies, and that’s India. A projected revenue CAGR of 14.5% – nearly double the global average, is a clear sign that India is not just part of the global gaming story, we’re writing the next chapter.

Web gaming, in particular, is seeing explosive traction, and India is leading the charge. We’re witnessing a new wave of native users turn to web games for their accessibility, speed, and immersive play – no downloads, no wait time, just instant fun. What’s equally exciting is that India is not just consuming web games at scale; it’s also emerging as a powerhouse for web game development.

From an infrastructure perspective, we find ourselves in a better position than ever before. Devices are becoming smarter and faster, and with 5G technology, smartphones today have more capabilities than ever. As a result, people are spending more time online, leading to a surge of apps and websites across categories. At Gamezop, we’ve seen how seamlessly web games can plug into the everyday digital lives of Indian users across news, entertainment, utility, and fintech platforms. With the right regulatory and infrastructure support, India could very well define the future of web gaming.”

Meanwhile, on the development front, the industry is seeing a shift toward homegrown innovation. Indian studios have evolved from providing services like localizing global titles to creating original games that are performing well on the global stage.

Anurag Choudhary, Founder & CEO of Felicity Games, puts it plainly, “India is not just becoming a billion-player market, it’s emerging as a powerhouse for innovation in mobile gaming. With a young, connected population and a rapidly evolving developer ecosystem, we’re seeing global-quality titles being built and scaled from here. At Felicity Games, we’re proud to be part of this movement by publishing Indian games for global audiences, backed by strong unit economics and technology-led operations.”

With supportive regulation, sustained investment, and a stark rise in talent, India’s gaming sector is reportedly estimated to reach around INR ~500,000 Crores in value by 2034. India with the growth, innovation, and the large user base is set to emerge as a billion-dollar global giant, surpassing the global growth and setting new benchmarks.

The post Gaming in India – The Rise of a New Billion-dollar Economic Powerhouse appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Conferences in Europe

Portside Game Assembly announces talks and roundtables for June 27th’s premiere of the conference for indie game leaders

Published

1 week ago

May 5, 2025

George Miller

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Gamecity Hamburg is setting sail with the premiere edition of Portside Game Assembly – a dedicated B2B conference for international indie game leaders – taking place aboard a ship cruising Hamburg’s famous harbour on June 27. With a carefully curated program of keynotes, impulse talks, and roundtables, the conference offers a rare opportunity for studio directors and decision makers to connect in a focused and collaborative setting. Designed to spark fresh perspectives and actionable insights, the event brings together voices from acclaimed indie studios worldwide like Benjamin Laulan (COO & Co-Founder Evil Empire), Philomena Schwab (Founder Stray Fawn Studio), Søren Lundgaard (CEO Ghost Ship Games), Mauricio García (Studio Director The Game Kitchen), Kevin Zuhn (Creative Director & Co-Founder Young Horses Inc.), and more speakers. Tickets for the full conference experience, including a Networking Brunch and the Games Industry Party, are available at portsideassembly.com.

As the premiere of the Portside Game Assembly on June 27 is approaching, the laser-focused program for indie game leaders takes shape.

Keynotes, impulse talks and roundtables: This is the program

By offering a confidential setting for studio directors, the Portside provides value through relevant conversations and strategic networking, which is also reflected in the diverse yet focused conference program. These are some of the program highlights:

Keynote: Benjamin Laulan (COO & Co-Founder Evil Empire): The “Triple-i Initiative Deep Dive” keynote on how to create your own announcement space and talk directly to your audience when you can’t really relate to other existing showcases.

Impulse Blocks:Impulse Blocks consist of two to three impulse talks, all of which relate to an overarching topic, followed by an open discussion about the perspectives shown and an opportunity for participants to share their own experiences. The discussions will be moderated by Mariève Beauchemin (Programs Director & Co-Founder Indie Asylum) and Andreas Suika (Creative Director & Game Designer).

Mining for Your Next Gem – How to Decide which Games to Develop

A defining and crucial decision for every indie game studio is: what of the (probably many) game ideas should be pursued? Where should studios allocate their resources – and what game will help a studio prevail? Three speakers will share their approaches to these questions in 10-minute impulse talks:

- Philomena Schwab (Founder Stray Fawn Studio): Game Idea Validation
- Jonas Tyroller (Founder Grizzly Games): You Don’t Need a Hook
- René Habermann (Director bippinbits): Don’t Ship the Wrong Game

Games Are Made by People – How to Foster a Good Company Culture

Founding and maintaining an independent game studio and managing a small to mid-size team comes with a lot of responsibility: from growing or having to downsize a team to maintaining a company culture where talent is nurtured, developed, and kept long-term.

- Mauricio García (Studio Director The Game Kitchen): Keeping the Indie Mindset while Going Big
- Kevin Zuhn (Creative Director & Co-Founder Young Horses Inc.): Hold Your Horses: Why Slow is How We Grow

From Dev to Dev – Why to Invest in Other Studios

More and more indie studios take the leap to market not only their own games but also put their resources and experiences on games from other developers. Two speakers will share their motivations and learnings from investing in games and studios that are not their own:

- Søren Lundgaard (CEO Ghost Ship Publishing): Developer by Day, Publisher by Night
- Christian Nyhus Andreasen (COO Fair Games): How to Lose 50% and Still Prosper – Angel Investment Lifestyle

Roundtables:

Roundtables have a more interactive concept than impulse blocks and encourage participants to discuss all aspects of the overarching question from the very beginning

Roundtable 1: Mobile Ports – When, Why & How? Moderated by Ali Farha (Senior Producer Star Stable Entertainment)
Roundtable 2: Stronger Together – Business Cooperations Between Indies. Moderated by Manny Hachey (Creative Director Positive Impact Games)
Roundtable 3: (Self-)Publishing – The Good, the Bad, the Ugly. Moderated by Sophie Atkin (Director & Founder Secret Sauce)
Roundtable 4: Longtail FTW – How to Make the Most out of Your Game. Moderated by Leonie Wolf (Associate Art Director Maschinen-Mensch)

The Portside Game Assembly website offers a detailed view on speakers, program topics and participating studios: https://portsideassembly.com/program/

The premiere of the Portside Game Assembly is supported by these great sponsors and partners: Photon and Twin Harbour Interactive!

Selection of already confirmed participants:

More than 60 studios from over 15 countries have already registered for the Portside Game Assembly conference on board the MS Princess. Besides already announced participants like Evil Empire, Stray Fawn Studio, The Game Kitchen, Toukana Interactive, Ghostship Publishing, and others, further acclaimed studios join the conference: