These days, people say you can be anything you want to be. And while that’s a bit of stretch considering how many factors are involved in each individual person’s life (finances, level of education, passions, etc.), the saying is perhaps more true today than it has ever been before.
For example, ten or twenty years ago, making a career as a video game player would seem near impossible—something reserved for an elite selection of the world’s best players with perfect track records and millions of dollars in funding from mega technology brands.
Today, things are very different.
You don’t need to be a world-class gamer to make money from gaming; you just need decent skills, the right equipment, a somewhat likeable (or at least, watchable) personality, and a plan.
Take a look at five different strategies you can use to kick-start your career in gaming, no matter what your experience level is or how big your dreams are. These methods are all accessible and designed to work for a wide range of different gamers around the world.
1. Livestreams
If you have a chatty, entertaining personality, getting into livestreams is a great way to start earning some money as an online gamer.
Initially, the idea of livestreams can seem confusing – after all, why would someone pay money to watch another person play a game when they could just play the game themselves? Well, there are a couple reasons: to pick up tips, to witness great gameplay, to connect with the gamer community, and to consume an entertaining form of content.
You don’t need to be the next PewDiePie to gain decent attraction online. You just need a solid platform (such as Twitch, YouTube Gaming, Facebook Gaming, or DLive) and a payment strategy.
There are lots of ways people can show their support for your livestreams. They can pay a subscription fee, buy tickets to online tournaments you participate in, buy your merch, or even donate. Granted, building a successful presence online via livestreaming does take time, but it’s worth it.
2. Start a blog
Ever since the internet became commodified, blogs have been one of the most lucrative ways for people to make money online. They’re easy to set up, easy to manage, and allow for so much flexibility in terms of branding and subject matter, so you can keep things interesting as you go.
Gaming blogs are extremely popular right now. However, the only way you would be able to make this plan work is with a fair bit of writing skills. You’ll need to brush up on your grammar and make sure you have a consistently refreshing supply of gaming content to discuss – and make it interesting to readers.
Once you have a blog set up, you can earn money from site viewings via Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, sponsorships, subscription tiers, and donation options. PPC ads are the best, though.
3. Create a gaming podcast
Podcasts are all the rage right now, and it’s easy to see why. The engaging style of audio content is easy for people to consume throughout their day and allows audiences to feel more connected to the people they follow. There are so many fascinating angles and hot takes to make about gaming, and if you enjoy discussing them with friends and peers, a podcast dedicated to them might be perfect for you.
Podcast platforms are available in abundance; some of them are even free. Once you’ve recorded your content, you’ll need to arrange some paid advertising to insert in between sections, and for each ad that you insert, the more you can get paid for your content.
Don’t forget that podcasts rely on ample social media presence and well-researched, quality content (as do all the items on this list, really), so make sure that end of things is executed properly.
4. Quality Assurance (QA) testing
If you’re more of a shy type, there’s no need to broadcast your personality online for extra views, clicks, and subscription tiers. You can become a quality assurance tester for gaming companies who develop everything from triple A titles to the games available at Bella Vegas casino. These companies need experienced players to make sure their games ae big-free.
QA testing is something you can be fully employed to do. But it doesn’t just entail playing the games, it also involves a fair amount of research and experience in computer science so that the companies have reason to trust your perspective.
Some QA testers are also required to provide comprehensive reports on the games they test. This is the kind of career that is great to work towards in the long run. And the money is not bad!
5. Sell game-coaching services
Lots of skilled gamers sell their services to amateurs to earn an income. The only real catch here is pretty obvious: you need to be an exceptional player to sell your skills at this level. People simply won’t pay for mediocre pointers they can find online – they want innovative, fresh takes on new material.
So if you reckon you’ve got the skills down, consider selling your services online to young or inexperienced gamers who want to improve their gameplay.
If you don’t feel like you’re ready yet – that’s okay, you can take on one of the other strategies in the meantime until you are. After all, practice makes perfect!
Conclusion
Becoming an income-earning online gamer isn’t the pipe dream that it used to be. There are myriad ways to make a buck from playing your favorite video games, and over time, those bucks can accumulate and turn into stable income.
A big part of all these strategies is branding – so make sure that whatever you do, you build up an audience that can follow your antics no matter what direction you choose to take them in.
By remaining consistent, focused on your goals, and constantly seeking new ways of sharing and enhancing your gaming content, there’s no reason why you can’t carve out a sustainable career as a pro video gamer in the future.