Gone are the days when we thought gaming was only about having fun. If you get the opportunity to make gaming a full-time source of wealth, your dreams of having fun while you get rich could come true. Playing video games gives you more chances to earn money than you might think.
There are some gamers who are able to make it a full-time job. Some can earn six to eight figures from playing. Here are some different ways that you can make money on video games:
1. Testing Games
Getting paid to play video games seems perfect doesn’t it? Game development involves hiring testers before developers sending their products to the market. They obviously want to ensure that the products they’re sending out won’t have any issues. Testers would detect bugs and bring up ideas that would make the game more attractive.
It may sound easy, but it’s still a lot of work. Gamers have to do quick a bit of brain work when testing. Every bug and error should be detected. And it’s not like usual gameplay. You have to play levels repeatedly and criticize what you’re playing and take notes of glitches. Suggestions from testers are crucial because they’re playing in a real gaming environment that is being tweaked all the times.
One other thing is that you have to be analytical in your thinking. If you’re serious about making money from this, practice how you can analyze items and situations.
2. Tournaments
You can make real money when you’re good enough to win gaming tournaments of games such as Fortnite and Call of Duty. There are often events held around the world, which are starting to attract larger and larger audiences. Winning tournaments on Fortnite for example, gives you access to earning over $300,000 a year. Another form of gaming, which a lot of video game players and also chess players like to do in parallel, is to take part in online poker or casino tournaments. Read the reviews on sites such as real money casinos Canada first, to find quality and legal casinos. Top players can earn a good living in this form of gaming too.
3. Streaming on Twitch
Another way of making money is by having a channel on the streaming platform Twitch. Many popular streamers have made millions of dollars from sponsorships, subscribers, and ads. Apparently, in 2017 the top 10 streamers on Twitch made more than 20 million dollars.
Every year, you could potentially earn anywhere up to 40,000 dollars. If you want to make money by streaming on Twitch, you have to first become a partner. Here are the steps to follow:
- Ensure that your total time of broadcast is 500 minutes for the past one month.
- You have 7 broadcast days within that month.
- In the past month, you have 3 or more consistent viewers.
- You have up to 50 followers.
As soon as you have followed the above steps, you’ll become a partner. And then you can earn money from displaying ads and having subscribers. Gaming companies may also start to sponsor you because of your reputation on the platform.
4. Having a YouTube Channel
Starting a YouTube channel is another good option, because people love video. Gain followers on the platform by ensuring that your content is attractive to gamers. Learn the art of basic video editing so that you can upload your content whenever you want to. Create tutorials on how to play certain games. Include guides and tips that can help players. Reviewing new games on YouTube also helps you get more views and subscribers.
To make money on YouTube, you need to grow your subscribers and have catchy videos. Ideally the optimal length of video is around 2 or 3 minutes. It’s a platform that encourages content creators by paying them once they have a wide audience. Your payment will come from sponsorships and ads. Once you increase your followers, sponsorships from game developers can come in.
5. Becoming a Game Developer
A full-time job as a games developer, making the latest A-list games is very appealing to many people. It’s pretty exciting to think about working with the top companies such as EA and Ubisoft. But it’s a tough industry. Working for extremely long hours is something that many employees may not find easy.
Another option is to set up a company by yourself. It doesn’t come easy, but take your time to research other companies. Learn new skills necessary for being a solo game developer. Take advantage of social media and sell yourself. Broadcast to people about what you do and spread the word about your games. Indie and mobile games are still big business.
6. Be an eSports Player
eSports are massive. Per month, you could earn between $1,000 and $5,000 by becoming an eSports player. Games like Counter-Strike, Fortnite, and League of Legends are among the popular games that have an eSports league.
If you’d like to play like a pro, learn the tricks of a particular video game. That way, you’ll be able to play it well and use platforms like Twitch and YouTube to make money, as well as joining a team and playing in stadia events. In eSports, there are also other ways to earn money:
- Involving in marketing and sales
- Being a social media manager
- Hosting events
- Commenting on matches
- Training other players
- Being a referee
Now that you’ve discovered some ways to make money online through video games, it’s time to begin! Follow your chosen steps carefully, and identify what you’d like to engage in when starting this potentially money-making journey.