Today’s advanced and hyper-realistic technology has led to the development of sophisticated video games with complex mechanics and beautifully-designed graphics. For a lot of people, playing their favorite game is a relaxing hobby. Some of us look forward to a good video game to unwind and relax after a particularly stressful day at work. Moreover, they’d rather do this all day if they get paid for it.
Fortunately, some modern platforms allow you to take up a career as a professional video gamer. You can build an entire empire right from the comfort of your home by following your passion and interests.
If you’re interested to learn more about the career prospects of video gaming, you’ve landed on the right page. Here are seven ways to help you make a business by playing video games:
1. Create a YouTube Channel
One of the most straightforward routes for the ones interested in earning money by playing video games is to churn out some significant video content for your YouTube channel. You can choose to focus on a single game or play various titles.
One of the primary ways of earning money on YouTube is by increasing the number of views on your video. To accomplish this goal, you must amass a considerable following that waits for your published content with bated breaths.
One gimmick you can apply to entice more people to subscribe your channel is by organizing giveaways. You don’t even have to spend extra money for this as there are ways to acquire freebies from other sites without shelling out a dime. If you’re an Xbox fanatic, you can learn more about how to get free Xbox gift cards, which you can then raffle off to a lucky follower.
There are also several significant formats that you can produce, such as:
- Walkthroughs: You can think of this type of content as tutorials on the different levels of a game. You have to record yourself playing the game and provide insights as you go along. Viewers can later watch your videos if they need a little guidance to surpass a particularly challenging stage.
- Highlights – For online games, like “Dota 2” or “League of Legends,” you can take snippets from the tournaments and incorporate them in a highlights reel, featuring the climactic scenes from the game between two professional teams. The best thing about this format is that you get to watch and review the battle, while enjoying the freedom to include the parts that you deem are noteworthy.
- Commentaries: This format is similar to highlights in terms of content, where you show viewers the gameplays of the two teams. An additional feature for this type of video is that it contains your opinions on the game. You can express your thoughts and reviews about the game and strategies applied by the winners to ace the game.
- Reviews: Another type of content for your YouTube channel could be to try out newly released video games and provide a review. You just have to take notes as you play the game and share your observations to your subscribers. You may evaluate various factors like playability, sound, graphics, and whether there are additional in-game purchases. Additionally, you can express your opinions what you liked and disliked about the game, as well as how it could be improved.
2. Live Stream on Twitch
You can also record your screen as you play solo or with friends and showcase your gaming prowess. The best thing about live streaming is that it adds a more personal touch to your content.
Twitch is one of the first platforms to offer the live streaming feature for the users. The website allows you to produce your own content as well as follow fellow gamers in your community.
You can earn through viewer subscriptions and donations. As you grow your subscriber base, big brands may even reach out to you and offer you sponsorship in exchange for some screen time on your channel.
You’ll have to invest in a powerful computer if you want to do a live stream, though, since you’ll have to run several programs simultaneously. You must play the game and open another app to capture your screen. If you’re adding voiceover commentaries, you’ll need audio recording software as well. Afterward, you’ll need to edit and render the video. You can also play a Solitaire game
3. Join or Build a Professional eSports Team
Another way to make a business out of playing video games is to create your own professional eSports team. For instance, “Dota 2” is renowned for hosting international tournaments with a prize pool of billions of dollars. With this massive amount, it’s no wonder that the world is finally taking professional gamers seriously.
You do have to hone necessary gaming skills and work hard to level up your account in order to capture the attention of scouts. You’d do well by joining a professional eSports team first, so you’ll be aware of the ins-and-outs of the process when you decide to put up your own squad.
It might be tempting to imagine creating a professional eSports team with you and your friends, thinking that you’ll just be playing with each other normally. However, you should keep in mind that this career path requires hard work and serious dedication. You must put in extra effort for training and learning various strategies your opponents might apply, so that you can one-up them.
4. Test Up-and-Coming Video Games
If you’re someone who enjoys trying new things regularly, you might thrive as a video game tester. This job is similar to that of reviewing games on online platforms, however in this case, you have to evaluate them before they’re released to the public.
You’ll be required to look for bugs in the gameplay and any glitches that might negatively influence a player’s gaming experience. A keen eye for detail and note-taking skills are a key requirement for this role.
You should also set your expectations and prepare yourself for the bugs that you might encounter. It’s highly unlikely that you’ll end up playing only the games that you love, so keep in mind that it’s still a job that requires hard work.
As any typical job, you’ll still need to apply for the role. The best thing about this career path is that you have a chance to earn a lot of money. However, finding companies that are hiring video gamers would be challenging.
An excellent approach when looking for employers, is to build your social media presence, particularly on YouTube and Twitch. If brands notice you with considerable following on social media, they’ll be interested in working with you as you already have a follower base. The followers helps in boosting their visibility to their target audience.
5. Design and Develop Your Own Game
On the other hand, if you aren’t interested in testing buggy programs, and you have envisioned a million-dollar concept in mind, you may design and develop your own video game. You can either pitch your idea to major companies or band together with your IT friends to start working on the project.
Now would be the perfect time to put up your own video game company, since investors are feeling confident about the gaming industry. Gaming investment activity has grown in the past year and would likely continue to do so due, in part, to the coronavirus pandemic. Due to the pandemic several people have been locked indoors with nothing to do except binge-watch TV shows and play their favorite video games. So, now is the time for the gaming industry and gamers like yourself to up their game (pun intended).
Developing your own game would require a considerable capital, though. The massive project would entail hiring several people for different teams. Aside from developers, you’d need illustrators and animators who’ll bring your vision to life. Moreover, you’d also need to hire testers to ensure that your product is bug-free once it reaches the public market.
6. Farm and Sell Accounts or Items
Farming for the sake of selling them is also a common way to earn money by playing video games. The idea is that you create an account and go up the ranks, acquiring items and other valuable goods in-game.
Then, after you reach a certain stage, you can sell the account to people who don’t have the time to spend for leveling up their characters but still want to play the game. Sometimes, you can also keep your profile and trade items for cash or other goods as well.
Take note that this option won’t make you very rich. Nonetheless, it’s better because you still get to earn additional income rather than playing for free.
7. Cover Professional Events as a Journalist
Since eSports have become popular globally, news outlets are also noticing the lucrativeness of the industry. If you’ve a knack for writing, you can cover tournaments and other types of events, which will be published on your employer’s website.
Technically, you won’t be paid to play video games. However, it’s better to experience the game first-hand to understand how it works and why a lot of people are interested in it.
Conclusion
Today’s generation definitely have more options and more fun while choosing a career path. The modern technology and platforms help you earn lots of money while playing video games. However, it doesn’t eliminate the fact that they still need to put in the work and approach this job with commitment.