Before resigning from your 9 to 5 post to start a gaming career, think again. While there is little to nothing to sacrifice upfront, it’s no joke to grow an audience online. The billion-dollar industry will certainly have room for you to share the market but because there are many wanting to be the next PewDiePie, the chances are slim that you even make a living out of it.
But real gamers don’t play for the money anyway. It’s just a shiny bonus after a good game and the necessary upfront investment. Here are steps to take if you want to start earning money from gaming:
1. Choose a niche.
There are many ways to earn money from gaming so you have to choose which suits you best. You may want to go the video streaming route where you basically play and give commentary on how the game is going---all while the camera follows your every move for viewers to watch. Or you may opt to write about the game and be a gaming journalist. You may also coach others on how to play a game you’ve already mastered or test the quality of a newly developed game. You may also join a gaming tournament in the e-sports scene and become a professional gamer. Some games even pay you by merely playing the game or make YouTube generate money for you through your own gaming channel.
Basically, in summary, here are some gaming opportunities you may choose from: (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 home gaming area.
The essentials in your gaming area will look different depending on the niche that you chose. For instance, if you want to become a video streamer, you must have a good quality microphone, a camera, and headphones. You won’t necessarily need these as a video game journalist or a quality assurance tester. What will be required in every instance is a heavy-duty desktop or laptop to play the game with and a stable Internet connection.
An ergonomic gaming chair is a luxury but something that you may want to invest in for a premium gaming experience. Flexispot has many gaming chairs to choose from including the new Gaming Chair GC02.
Partner it with the Gaming Desk GD01 and you have the best setup that will be every gamer’s source of envy. It comes with a fully-covered mouse pad made from durable 3mm thick silicone material in microfiber. It’s waterproof and has a non-skid feature that allows you to move your mouse smoothly without sliding. The table has a flexible height adjustment with three options: 28", 30", and 32.” While in mid-game, there’s no more searching for your gear or drinks because the table has a built-in headphone hook, cup holder, and a cable management system.
3. Make an account.
There are multiple platforms available where you can make a name for yourself in online video gaming. You may stream your games via Facebook, Twitch, or YouTube. GameFAQs is one site that rewards cash for a person who writes the first comprehensive walkthrough of a game. You may look into writing for major gaming sites like IGN or start a gaming podcast through the app Anchor. You may send your application to on-demand playtesting sites such as PlaytestCloud, BetaFamily, and beta testing. Look for tournaments to join at Game Battles or Gamerz Arena.
The Internet has everything; just do your research well.
4. Be the best at the game.
For you to win tournaments, for people to have a reason to watch your streams, for you to have the credibility to review or test a game, you must be the best at it. Keep on playing until you know the ins and outs of the title, every nook, and cranny of the game. Play with others online and learn strategies from how they play. Read reviews and watch tutorials. People will take notice and start talking about you if you’re the best at what you do.
5. Spread the word.
As a wannabe influencer in the gaming industry, you need to develop and solidify your brand. Choose a catchy name and create a logo to grab people’s attention. Set up social media accounts to promote your streams or reviews. Let your family and friends know. Share in forums and talk to fellow gamers. Exhaust your social network and hopefully, gain a solid following through every like and share. Don’t be discouraged if there’s no positive turnout just yet in terms of viewership. Everybody starts from somewhere and this is just the beginning of your gaming career.
Final Thoughts
Earning money from gaming may sound like easy money, especially if it’s a game that you love to frequently play. But it requires growing an audience---a Herculean task to even make it up to 10 viewers per stream. So if you really want to make an honest living out of gaming, you must be prepared to grind, hustle, and have thick skin. Buckle up because it’s gonna be one hell of a ride.
A gentle reminder though is to not let the goal of earning take away the fun in gaming, and why you got hooked into it in the first place. Remember that the money is just a bonus and a hard-earned one at that.
