Here are 4 Practical Ways to Get Paid and Rewarded for Playing Games
2022.05.07
Serge Sinyutin
The gaming sector is one of the largest industries today and there are no signs of slowing down. The global gaming market is set to reach $256.97 billion by 2025. On top of that, more than 2.5 billion people worldwide play games everyday. Games provide countless hours and days of entertainment and effort. There is nothing more rewarding than ranking up, beating a difficult boss or finishing a game and seeing those ending credits. But don’t you wish you can get rewarded for playing games in a more compensating way? Well, here are 4 realistic ways you can get rewarded monetarily for playing your favorite games.
- Become a Video Game Content Creator
The most obvious way of making money by playing games is through content creation like creating Youtube videos and live streaming. This method is the most common approach and therefore it is the most competitive. That is why it is important to focus on a small niche and build your community slowly. There are no shortcuts to content creation and the process takes years of hard work, without any guarantee of measurable success. How much passion, energy and focus you pour into your content will reflect on the outcomes. As a video game content creator, you can focus on things like: making game tutorials, reviewing games, unboxing gaming equipment, doing full playthroughs, documenting PC builds and much more! When you build a respectful brand, you can take advantage of opportunities such as ad revenue, sponsored videos, merchandise and affiliate marketing to name a few.
Livestreaming is the other side of content creation, with a more complex factor. As a streamer, your job is to constantly entertain and look out for your community, which can be extremely hard to build and stand out from. It takes a long time to build a live stream audience and the reality is that most streamers never reach a point of surviving solely by streaming. Set yourself apart with your own brand of humor/personality, be a world-class player or enjoy games that no one else is playing. As you already know, streamers can make money from ad revenue, donations, sponsors and paid subscribers. If you are grinding your favorite game, what is the worst thing that can happen if you stream it with your friends? Even if you are streaming to only 5 viewers and get a small paycheck, it is more than not doing anything at all!
- Compete in Gaming Tournaments and Ladder Competitions
You do not need to be an Esports legend to participate in tournaments and competitions across many games. In fact, you don’t even have to travel or play at conventions. There are many platforms that host tournaments online without any restrictions. Sometimes, you do not even have to play against another team or player, as many companies can track your game statistics, which can be compared to other participating players. Sometimes, services offer free entries for tournaments or have very small entry costs. If you are really good and experienced at the game, test your skills against others and win points, cash and other rewards like gift cards, etc.
Websites for Gaming Tournaments:
https://www.repeat.gg/tournaments/
https://www.checkmategaming.com/
- Video Game Coaching/Tutoring
One of the coolest ways to make money playing video games is by offering to coach your favorite competitive game (such as Valorant or League of Legends). Such popular and high skill gap games can be frustrating to climb and become better at. Many people look for personal coaching and feedback, as simply watching tips and guides on Youtube does not help them improve. Video game coaches make anywhere from $20 to $200 per hour, depending on how good they are and how in-demand their services are. Getting started as a coach typically means gaining an audience through a platform like YouTube and offering your services to your audience. Make sure you showcase your skills, experience and game knowledge to prove to your students you are worth their time and money.
Websites for Coaching:
-
Become a Game Journalist or a Podcast Host
People look to games journalists for insights, news and knowledge in the gaming industry. This can be done through news pieces, blog posts, commentary/analysis, podcast or breaking news. But what exactly can you do? You can write for a games site, cover games on digital radio, write for news organizations, create video game documentaries and get supporters on websites like Patreon. Many of these jobs are considered to be freelancing, so there are plenty of opportunities to turn your side hustle into a realistic career. Running a podcast like business can make you money through potential sponsors, tips, paid subscriptions and premium bonus content additions.
Websites for Game Journalism
https://www.apple.com/apple-podcasts/
At the end of the day, these opportunities require work and your success is only measured by how much effort and sweat you put in. Do not expect to go live for 4 hours and hit 100 viewers instantly, don’t expect to put out a mediocre video and expect it to go viral, instead, build quality content and put real effort into your craft. Slowly but surely, you will find success in your line of work. Best of luck, gamers!