I am a recent graduate looking to get into the games industry, but due to the high demand i have seen relatively few positions that have been pursued by many people. However i also have my phone ringing off the hook for traditional software roles. For financial reasons i may have to peruse a traditional role, just to secure a job more quickly.

From what I have seen, non-grad roles seem to specifically require someone from the games industry who have shipped titles and console experience etc.

my question is would someone who for example spent 2 years developing a web sever backend still be eligible for a grad role in the games industry? and would it in any way be counted against me if i did previously do a role in traditional software?

In my opinion, the best thing you can do is to start working in more traditional software (media orientated if possible) in order to gain valid industrial experience, and work on your own games projects in your spare time. There are always hobbyist projects in need of additional programming hands on deck, so you should be able to find a decent project that suits your interests and helps you build the experience you need on your CV to break into games; a solid mod or indie game is almost as good a reference as a typical commercial game.