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

2 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.

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

Midjiwan opens Stockholm’s first co-working space for game developers

Published

17 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Adrienn Sarkany

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

Midjiwan, the award-winning independent studio behind The Battle of Polytopia, today announces the opening of Game Town, Stockholm’s first coworking space for game developers.

In addition to being a new home for Midjiwan, Game Town will also serve as a base for Toppluva AB, the makers of Grand Mountain Adventure; Warm Kitten AB, the developers behind Justin Wack and the Big Time Hack; Gro Play AB, a studio creating educational games; and Dataspelsbranschen, Sweden’s trade association for video game companies. More game development companies are expected to join over the next few months.

The Swedish games industry, including subsidiaries abroad, generated SEK 86.5 billion (USD $7.9 billion) in 2022, according to a Dataspelsbranschen report. Gaming is a strong growth industry, accounting for over 4 percent of Sweden’s total service exports. Game Town will become a creative, innovative, and social meeting place, further solidifying Stockholm as a key games industry hub with industry meetups, mixers, and game showcases hosted for indie and AAA developers.

Södermalm, the Stockholm island where Game Town is located, has one of the highest concentrations of game developers. The nearby areas constitute a cluster for companies within game development, housing among others Paradox, DICE, Fatshark, and Epic Games.

Christian Lövstedt, General Manager at Midjiwan, commented:

“Game Town will become a professional and playful environment for smaller game studios that want to work and develop among other developers. We’re looking to create a community of people who share our same passion for gaming and game development. Game Town will bring together indie developers and freelancers to create an open and welcoming place for the entire industry to gather.”

Per Strömbäck, Chairman of Dataspelsbranschen.

“Within a kilometer radius of Södermalm, there are at least 3,000 game developers, making it perhaps the most densely populated place for game developers in the world. Here, games are created for billions of players worldwide. Perhaps there is something in the Earth’s magnetic field that makes local games particularly good? Game Town will be located right in the middle of this hub, so it is only right that our own office should be right here.”

The post Midjiwan opens Stockholm’s first co-working space for game developers appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Gaming

Metaverse Studio Karta Reaches Huge Milestone with New Game Beat Builder

Published

2 days ago

April 16, 2024

Alan Campbell

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Karta pushes the boundaries of music game innovation with Built Builder on Fortnite – reaching 100k players

Beat Builder is Fortnite’s first-ever build-based rhythm game
Karta partners with NoCopyrightSounds for the game’s music library
Two new big songs just added: Royalty by Egzod & Maestro Chives and Invincible by Deaf Kev

Karta, an award-winning metaverse studio pioneering the world of in-game experiential marketing, continues to push the boundaries of music game innovation as its latest project, Beat Builder, reaches 100,000 players.

Beat Builder is an interactive music rhythm game where players put down walls, ramps, floors and cones to the beat of the music. Centred on building a core Fortnite gameplay feature used in its very popular Battle Royal, Beat Builder is the first-ever build-based rhythm game on the platform. As well as being a music-filled experience played for fun, the game is also used as a practice tool for players to improve their game-playing skills on Fortnite.

To create the game’s eclectic music library, Karta has partnered with NoCopyrightSounds, a copyright-free record label and music platform. Focusing on drumstep, phonk and trap electronic music for now, with artists such as Twisted, if found, XTOM and Lost Sky, players interact with the stems of each song that have their own visual world to match the vibe. Karta aims to develop the game further, updating it with a plethora of new music and genres such as metal, K-pop and rock. The long-term aim of Beat Builder is to integrate artists into Fortnite to share their music with fans, with the game becoming a recognised platform for exploring new artists and music.

Reaching 100,000 players is a significant milestone for a new metaverse game with Beat Builder continuing to grow in popularity since its launch recently. To mark the milestone, Karta has updated the game with two of NCS biggest songs; Royalty by Egzod & Maestro Chives and Invincible by Deaf Kev and is already planning further extensions, partnerships and new seasons.

“We’re thrilled that Beat Builder has gotten off to such a great start,” the Chief Executive Officer for Karta, Erik Londre, said. “We wanted to create a rhythm game that felt 100% Fortnite native, where the music is connected to the platform’s core building gameplay. A rhythm game that makes you a better gamer is an idea that excites us a lot.”

“Beat Builder truly encapsulates what Karta is all about; innovative and forward-thinking design that combines incredible music with interactive gaming in one entertaining place,” the Chief Growth Officer for Karta, Tony Barnes, said. “Music’s presence in the metaverse is evolving and we think Beat Builder has the potential to become its own platform for artists and brands to authentically connect to a Fortnite audience through gameplay and new music. We can’t wait to develop it and see how it grows.”

Since launching in 2021, Karta has worked with brands such as Amazon Music, McDonald’s and Hugo Boss. As well as working with Spotify on its iconic global campaign, Spotify Wrapped, to gamify the listening habits of Spotify users and bring this into the metaverse. Through these partnerships, Karta is reshaping entertainment experiences in the metaverse and creating meaningful connections between brands and their audiences. In the past year, the London-based studio has also worked with global artists like Nicki Minaj for her Gag City experience in Roblox, K-pop giant Blackpink with its hugely popular Blackpink the Palace and Twice with its Twice Square, which has become the most successful persistent music experience on Roblox.

“We’re very happy to provide the music for Beat Builder, a brilliant new game that gives players the chance to interact with the music like never before,” the Brand Manager for NCS, Charlotte Lee, said. “It has the potential to become a go-to platform for music gaming and we’re proud to support it.”

Beat Builder is available now to explore on Fortnite. For more information, go to www. Karta. game.

The post Metaverse Studio Karta Reaches Huge Milestone with New Game Beat Builder appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

eSports

Denis ‘electroNic’ Sharipov is a New Virtus.pro Player

Published

3 days ago

April 15, 2024

Alan Campbell

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

Denis ‘electroNic’ Sharipov (pictured), one of the most decorated and famous players in CS2, a Major champion and winner of the Intel Grand Slam, is moving to Virtus.pro.

“The arrival of star players always generates excitement within the club and among its fans,” the Chief Executive Officer for Virtus.pro, Nikolai Petrossian, said. “Denis is a well-known figure in the world of eSports with an impressive list of major victories and exceptional skill. Few players won both at Major and Intel Grand Slam events.

“Our CS2 roster is strong thanks to teamwork, a clearly defined playstyle and the individual talents of our players. Transferring players with outstanding skills to improve specific areas is a common practice in sports. I am confident that Denis joining will give a powerful boost to the team in the upcoming challenges in Dallas, London and beyond.

“Denis will replace Nikolay ‘mir’ Bityukov in the VP lineup. Nikolay has been a loyal and valuable member of our team and we express our gratitude for his contributions. Nikolay ‘mir’ Bityukov is open to offers from other teams.”

“Virtus.pro is a top team,” Sharipov said. “The core of the roster has won a Major not a while ago and all the players are in their prime and ready for victories right now. We share the same ambitions and goals. Besides, I’m also excited about the idea of playing with Jame as he’s one of the most unique IGLs in the game. Can’t wait to adapt to my new team and start doing what I came here for, winning trophies.”

Sharipov has dozens of victories at elite tournaments, including: