Over 100 E3 attendees suddenly broke out into a dance routine, all dressed in hats that would make them look like the classic squeeze-toy aliens from the movie series. Disney folks were around to catch it all on tape – the awkward dancing, the surprised looks on the faces of everyone that had no idea what the heck was going on and even the chatter of some ex-dancers after it was all over (for the record, they were totally going to get some hot dogs afterward).

Effective marketing, or just plain creepy? You decide.

Even as the recession roared on, game development didn’t really take as much of a hit as the rest of the world, it looks like. Though 2008 was a banner year for devs, with the highest salaries on record, 2009 still didn’t dip below 2007′s levels. Normally, we expect to see a steady increase, but with many studios looking to cut corners wherever possible, many developers were the ones taking the hit.

Programmers are the highest-paid talent in the game industry ($80,320), and experience pays: If you’ve got more than six years of experience in that role, your pay was likely to increase by 36% over average.

Artists and animators had a slight salary increase, bumping them up to $71,071, and designers also saw an increase to $69,266.

Producers, with their salary of just over $75,000, are the most female-friendly, with 18% of that particular workforce being female. Producers are also the most experienced, with half of them being in the industry six years or more. Sure, causation doesn’t equal correlation, but wouldn’t it be interesting if women were more likely to stay in the industry longer? Food for thought, anyway.

People in quality assurance (or, as they’re better known, game testers) had the least experience and the lowest pay, averaging $37,905. But if a tester sticks with it for more than six years, that salary doubles. (The problem in this case becomes sticking with it. Testing is a cruel mistress.)

Audio professionals, including sound designers and composers, were some of the most experienced individuals, and their average $82,085 salary reflects that. But new blood is entering the arena – 38% of audio devs had fewer than three years of experience, and only a third of them had more than six years.

Marketing’s always been pretty lucrative (you know, in general). But in gaming, marketers remain the highest-compensated group of all, with an average salary of $96,408. After all, no matter whether or not the game you’re making is awesome, if it’s not marketed correctly, you’ll never sell a thing. But marketing also had the greatest variance – your average PR employee makes $83,804, while executives almost broke $130,000. That’s a pretty big chunk of change.

A much larger, much longer, much more expensive version of this information exists at http://www.gamedevresearch.com. (At about $1,500 per copy purchased, I’m starting to think it would be way better to be a researcher.)

The awards honor the best marketing work for video games. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles and NBA 2K10 were runners-up, each taking home four Awards.

Award categories run the gamut, from “Outstanding Promotional Trailer” to “Best Swag,” and even an award for “Most Effective Buzz Creation.”

Game consumers also had a bit of a say this year in one award. Consumers answered the question “Which game did you most want to buy last year?” Killzone 2 won handily with 43% of the total.

To see all of this year’s winners, visit www.mi6conference.com.

We love to encourage our readers to go for a career in the gaming industry if that’s what they are passionate about. We don’t have our job boards working yet, but we will post jobs that come our way.

This morning, Reverb Communications is looking for a Director of Public Relations or Marketing Manager to assist them with their growing portfolio.

Here is a look at what they are looking for:

Both positions require seasoned industry insiders with a strong media and blogger relations background in video game and consumer technology public relations, including traditional and social. Ideal candidates should have a passion for gaming, possess excellent writing and communication skills, have advanced knowledge of PR and marketing and the gaming industry, and be ready to help pitch in and continue work gaming destination on the Internet.

If you feel you are qualified, send your resume to HR@reverbinc.com. Both positions are in the company’s office in Twain Harte, California.

The following is my opinion, not the opinion of GamingAngels.com.

Many gamers are looking forward to getting their hands on Bioware’s Dragon Age: Origins. But the marketing team is only reaching out to the male audience. During E3 and many times in media interviews, the topic of sex in the title was stressed over and over again. But what else do you do if you are desperate to appeal to the male demographic to buy your game? You get sexy girls to dress up like your characters of course.

On Maxim.com, Bioware has decided to dress up models to look like their in-game counterparts.

“Fortunately, the developers included a couple of ways allowing one’s avatar let off some virtual steam: sneaky seductress Leliana and shapeshifting mage Morrigan. Both are possible romantic companions in the game—the second best kind of sex, next to the real thing!—but you don’t have to wait until the release date to fall in love with them.”

The photos are pretty tame. Definitely not safe for work, because there is one woman that decided to go a bit further than the rest in her pictures. There are only a few comments on the article about the women, but not one mentions that they will be buying the game or have even heard of the title before.

There is nothing wrong with using hot women to market your title. But I can’t say that there’s been a strong emphasis on other parts of the title. I definitely feel that sex has been pushed so much and used so much to talk about Dragon Age: Origins that I personally feel that there may not be the depth in the game I was hoping for. Marketing departments for video games have to start realizing that there is a trade-off when you decide to focus on just one aspect of the game. The trade-off for me is that you lose me as a customer. I don’t need sex in a video game to attract me to it. I want a game that has amazing depth, story, and great controls. Maybe guys have less demands then women and are easier to “fool” by talking about sex all the time.

What do you think? Are you offended by campaigns that market solely to the typical male demographic? Does it not bother you at all? Do you with games had more adult or mature content in them? I can’t wait to hear your opinion.

Sony slogan

Sony recently changed the PS3 logo font and now Sony is continuing the makeover with a brand new slogan for consumers – “make.believe”.

“As we move to transform Sony and integrate the very best in electronics, entertainment and technology into the homes of our customers, the importance of an all-encompassing and unified brand image is more important than ever,” Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer stated, according to Destructoid.

“In addition to reigniting the innovative spirit of our employees and our products, make.believe will differentiate us from countless competitors and inspire consumers around the world to embrace all that is Sony.”

I wonder if it’s a new marketing team, but either way, it’s nice to see Sony taking some new marketing initiatives and taking control of their brand.

Women and Money

We know that women make up 40% of gamers and is the fastest growing market for the video game industry. Women traditionally have control of the spending in the household and now there is a study that shows just how much in spending they control.

In a survey of more than 12,000 women in 21 countries the results show that women are over-extended, over-worked, over-stressed, and under-served by businesses. Women are in charge of $12 trillion in global spending today and that will increase by $5 trillion over the next five years.

“Companies can earn a privileged position by recognizing this phenomenon and the outsized burden women shoulder — and by responding with power and certainty,” said Kate Sayre, BCG partner and coauthor of “WOMEN WANT MORE.”

Mr. Silverstein added, “Companies are failing to meet the needs of women in five key ways: Poor product design and customization for women; clumsy sales and marketing; inability to address the need for time-saving solutions; inability to provide a meaningful hook and differentiation, and failure to develop community.”

Women are doing more, working hard and are more stressed then ever. That sounds like a great opportunity for video game companies to come in and sweep them off their feet. To show women how relaxing and fun video games can be and a great way to spend “me time”. So go ahead gaming companies, make your move and if you need any help or advice you’re always welcome here.