by Micah Norris
According to data from this year, income from live streaming grew again by 26.9%, the competitive eSports industry climbed in value to over $1 billion, and the videogame market itself shot to $90 billion in value, dwarfing the worldwide box office. Forget what your parents told you: if you know which buttons to press, there’s a living to be made from playing games. Here are our best strategies to turn your love of video games into a career.
Content
Of all videogame-affiliated roles, the most sought-after is ‘content creator’. Content creators either stream live, construct videos or write material relating to their favorite video games. By entertaining viewers or readers, it’s possible to earn a high-income, but only with hard work and some good fortune – you’ll need 50,000+ YouTube views per day to reach $23 to $40,000 annually, according to estimates. This is a highly-saturated community so, for the best chances of success, identify a strong USP. Some content creators rely on humor (Videogamedunkey), some on skill (Ninja) and some on their unique perspectives (Girlfriend Reviews).
If self-streaming isn’t your thing, there are a number of other ways you can produce or become involved in the process of content creation. To keep up with soaring demand, gaming publications are constantly on the lookout for new writers, videographers, commentators and statisticians. As the market expands, new roles in this sector continue to sprout up and being involved in any capacity now is a sure-fire way to open up options in the future, especially as the industry continues to grow.
Competition
Another valid but difficult strategy for earning as a gamer is to compete. Professional gamers can pull in huge amounts of prize money but, as eSports is so accessible, the competition is fierce. A good way to improve your chances of success is to focus on games with widespread international appeal and large prize pools. Counter Strike Go, for example, yielded $14.75 million in prize money throughout 2020. Not all of this money is centered on the big, international tournaments – sometimes regional contests have impressive takings too. If you can recognize multiplayer games with high potential before they’ve reached mainstream popularity, you can hone your skills early and get ahead of the player base.
Competitive gaming is not all prize-orientated – increasingly, there are teams that offer their signed players a full-time wage. Some teams earn their revenue through sponsorship, some through winnings, and some through streaming-ad revenue. Earning a place on one will depend upon your personality, skill level and personal preference.
Creation
With the re-emergence of indie games, there are now more jobs than ever for entry-level or amateur game designers. Every studio, big or small, requires a few key components – writers, artists, programmers and testers. For larger companies, the roles expand to include managers, audio engineers and marketers and, in any one of these professions, your love of video games is directly applicable.
Acquiring the skills you need to work in the industry is easier than ever. You might, for example, consider a masters degree in IT. With advanced knowledge of information technology management, data analytics, data science, cyber security or technical support, you could immediately apply for roles at AAA game studios. Alternatively, you could assemble a portfolio of creative work and send it off to indie developers or collaborate with peers to build something entirely of your own.
With so many people vying for video game-related jobs, the industry can feel impenetrable. But don’t be discouraged by failure – in this growing medium, there is always another opportunity and only you get to decide when it’s game over.
MICAH NORRIS created king-rom.com after having trouble finding quality ROMs. He decided to build a site where he could compile the best sources of ROMs online. As a gamer he understands that PS1, PS2, Nintendo 64, Gameboy C/A, Nintendo DS, NES, and SNES ROMs are hard to find from trusted sources. He encourages gamers, new and old, to check out the ones he has found. His site will share information about ROMs as well as other gaming tips and resources.
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