As an avid gamer, it may sometimes feel like there’s never enough time in the day to indulge in your passion. Work and life take up all that valuable time, and, after all, you have to make money somehow.
But what if we told you that you could make money from gaming?
Yep. Gaming as a profession is not only a reality, but it’s also enormously lucrative one. The gaming industry is valued at around $120 billion and growing. Read on to learn how to turn your gaming passion into a profit-making machine.
Know Thyself
Before diving into the world of for-profit gaming, you first have to recognize which aspects of the industry truly ignite your passion. While playing Fortnite for fun might fire you up, it might not make you happy as a profession.
That’s why you first must ask yourself: what is your favorite part of gaming? Is it:
- Competing with others?
- Talking about games, old and new?
- Understanding how games work and making your own?
Think long and hard about this question. Got the answer? Read the corresponding section to discover your ideal career in the gaming industry—and turn your pastime into a profitable paradise.
If You Chose #1: Competing with others…
If competition really gets you going, you might find a thrilling career in eSports, a whopping $905.6 million global industry. While beating opponents in your favorite game for money might sound like a breeze, you might want to hold onto that hubris for a second—eSports is an incredibly competitive and saturated industry, not fit for the weak at heart.
Unphased? Then check out some common (and not-so-common) games in eSports that you might just dominate:
- Fortnite
- Rocket League
- Super Smash Bros.
- Valorant
- Overwatch
- World of Warcraft
- Apex Legends
- League of Legends
- Dota 2
- Counter Strike: Global Offensive
- … and many more!
Professional eSports gamers primarily make money from sponsorships, streams, and prizes. If you feel fit to take on the challenge, you’ll need to invest in some vital tech tools to succeed.
Success Tool #1: For success as an individual or team player in eSports, you’ll want to purchase a high-quality headset, a comfortable wireless mouse, a smooth mouse pad, and a keyboard that you can operate swiftly and efficiently. You may even consider purchasing a gaming desk for optimized posture and performance.
If You Chose #2: Talking About Games…
Okay, so maybe you’re not that competitive, or you just don’t want to turn your favorite activity into a stressful ordeal. If you find yourself more interested in playing various games over simply mastering one, then a fruitful career in streaming might be right for you!
Streamers can access various platforms—like Twitch or YouTube—to play, analyze, compare, and review all the hit games of the season, or reminisce over iconic classics that everyone loves. If you’re a streamer, you can turn your interest in the art into an exciting career through the following specializations:
- Twitch Streamer
- YouTube Reviewer
- eSports Shout Caster
- eSports Analyst
- Sponsored Streamer
Success Tool #2: For fast, effective gaming, you’ll need to select the ideal system from a range of high-performance gaming computers, choose the right processor for your PC, and pair it with the best gaming screen for your purposes.
If You Chose #3: Understanding How Games Work…
If gaming is fun but creating is even better, you might be interested in a career in video game development. Game developers are the brilliant creatives behind all the magical worlds that so often capture your mind and heart.
For this type of career, you have to have talents in computer science, storytelling, and cinematography—on top of a knack for what makes video games good.
Game development can be an incredibly fulfilling and dynamic career—but it also requires hours of practice, study, and education to truly master. While you can teach yourself the basics of development through free online courses, you might also want to consider enrolling in a university program dedicated to the field.
Success Tool #3: If you’re committed to a career in games development, you’re going to be coding. A lot. That’s why you’ll want an ergonomic keyboard to sustain the long hours of typing at your desk, so you can enhance speed, comfort, and joint health while bringing your worlds to life.
Get Gaming!
Success in the gaming industry takes dedication, practice, and passion—simply liking games isn’t enough. With the right investment in top-notch equipment and hours of playtime, you can rise to the top of this profitable industry and cultivate the career of your dreams.
Now log on and get gaming.
