Think again before you join the club of people who resign from their 9 to 5 jobs to pursue a gaming career. While we support all kinds of harmless passion, it’s not smart to just jump into a space without any fallback plan. Yes, gaming is a billion-dollar industry that like YouTube is quick to enter for free and welcomes anyone from all walks of life. However, not many realize that because of this accessibility, the market has become saturated, and increasingly difficult to grow an audience online for. There are already many PewDiePie wannabes and yet when you don’t join the likes of him, chances are also slim that you’ll make a living out of this.
But who’s a naysayer to tell you what to do with your life? In the first place, real gamers, those who really enjoy the hobby, don’t play for the money anyway. It’s just a shiny bonus that comes after hours and hours of a good game. So if you really want to start earning money from gaming, the best course of action is to just start playing when it’s your off days from work. We’ve also narrowed down some steps to take while you do it on the side.
1. Pick a niche.
A big misconception of the gaming industry is that most can only make money through streaming. There are actually a number of ways to earn extra dough from gaming; you just have to pick and select what speaks to you the most. First is of course the video streaming career that we’ve been talking about. You will just do what you always do and play a game. The difference is when you stream, you would have to give commentary on what is going on with a live camera that follows your every move for viewers to watch. If video streaming is not your thing, you may write instead about games and be a gaming journalist. Other money-making areas are coaching and quality testing where you’ll train gamers how to play a game that you’ve already mastered and test the quality of a newly developed game respectively. Another option is to join a gaming tournament in the e-sports arena and become an official, professional gamer. One of the biggest opportunities in gaming is becoming a successful YouTuber where you can do a little bit of everything: a live stream of you playing, a review on the latest game onboard, tutorials of how to play a specific game, etc.
To summarize, these are just six of the job opportunities that gaming can offer you: (1) video streaming, (2) gaming journalism, (3) video game coach, (4) quality assurance tester, (5) professional gamer, and (6) gaming Youtuber.
2. Set up a gaming area at home.
The basic requirement of a gaming area, no matter the niche, is a heavy-duty desktop or laptop and a stable Internet connection. The rest will vary based on the niche that you end up picking. If you choose the video streaming route, you must have a good quality microphone, web camera, and headphones---equipment that isn’t necessarily needed if you choose to be a video game journalist or a quality assurance tester.
For a premium luxury gaming experience, purchase the Massage Gaming Chair from FlexiSpot. It’s a value for your money costing at CA$279.99. This ergonomic chair looks elegant and modern with its soft luxury breathable bonded leather, thick padded seat with the high-density thick foam, and a steady chair base. It can accommodate up to 280 pounds of weight and still feel comfortable with a padded seat, retractable footrest, massage lumbar support, and 360-degree rotation care of its reinforced caster wheels. While playing, you may rock your chair back and forth with a rocking angle at 10°. The back can also be reclined within 90°~170°, a safe and luxurious experience for your neck and spine.
Pair this with a gaming desk and you’re every gamer’s envy. FlexiSpot has an Electric Height Adjustable Ergonomic Gaming Desk that is priced at CA$459.99. You may choose a desk frame that may be black, gray, or white in color while the desktop can be mahogany, maple, black, or white. It has a super stable frame and a whisper-quiet that won’t disturb any of your streams when lowering down or raising up the desk. It has a two-button up and down keypad which is easy to use for anyone. The frame also ensures a stable structure even at the desktop’s highest point.
3. Open an account.
The next step is to enter a platform. With the rise of streaming in recent years, there are multiple streaming sites to choose from such as Facebook, Twitch, or YouTube. If you’re a gifted writer, you may log onto GameFAQs and be the first to submit a comprehensive walkthrough of a game for a cash reward. You may also write for major gaming sites like IGN or still be in gaming journalism by hosting a podcast via the Anchor app. For quality testers, some on-demand playtesting sites include PlaytestCloud, BetaFamily, and BetaTesting. If looking for tournaments to join, Game Battles or Gamerz Arena may be your platform.
Simply put, you can search anything from the Internet and once you’re decided, make an informed decision as to what career path you will be taking.
4. Be the best at your chosen game.
People will watch your streams, listen to your podcasts, allow you to review games for them, and read your reviews if you are a good gamer. To build credibility in the gaming industry, you must keep on playing until all the ins and outs, every nook and cranny of the game is known to you. You can also always play with your online friends while picking up their game plans and strategies.
People will take notice and start talking about you and the skills that you can offer if only you are the best at what you do.
5. Let others know.
You have to develop and solidify your personal brand as a wannabe influencer. It starts with devising the wittiest or most appropriate name and creating a logo of it to capture people’s fancy. Once done, open social media accounts to promote your streams or reviews. Let your family and friends know. Raise your hand in gaming forums and talk to like-minded individuals. Exhaust your social circle and hopefully, gain a solid following, even from strangers through every like and share of your videos. It’s easy to get discouraged, especially if there’s no positive turnout in terms of viewership. Everybody starts from somewhere and this is just the beginning of your gaming career.
