HEIGHTENED rivalry in China's online games industry has sparked a war for talent, Shanghai Daily learned at the China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference (Chinajoy), which opened yesterday.
Among the stunts used to build corporate brain trusts, Shanda Entertainment stationed four Mercedes-Benz sedans outside the expo and used them to ferry teams proposing competitive game products or innovative ideas to company headquarters for talks on cooperation.
By evening, more than 10 teams comprising 40 people took the ride, according to Shanda spokesperson Zhuge Hui.
"We prepared the sedans because we really care about talent," Zhuge said.
Shi Yuzhu, the chairman of Shanghai ZhengTu Network Science Technologies Co, said he used high salaries to attract senior game designers in the past, but that hasn't always worked.
"I am willing to pay 10 million yuan (US$1.31 million) annually for a really qualified game design director," Shi said.
Game talent is urgently needed given China's booming market and an education system that fails to develop the right skills, according to Ming Haoxia, secretary general of the Shanghai Multimedia Industry Association.
In 2006, more than 18,000 people worked in the games industry in Shanghai, the source of about 70 percent of national game revenue. But the talent shortage in Shanghai stands at 2,000, and the number will increase in 2007 as many game studios or game outsourcing firms aim to expand this year, according to Ming.
Information-technology graduates have to be trained for six months before they become productive, according to Lei Jun, president of Kingsoft software company.
"Training goes for 16 hours a day, six days a week, and then the personnel are ready," Lei said.