7 Ways To Make Money Playing Video Games

gamesgamerszone.blogspot.com - Whether you are a 50-year-old woman with a career and children, or a teenage boy with a ton of time on his hands, video games hold a particular allure. Unfortunately, video games are sometimes seen as a waste of time, or an unworthy investment. Despite this misconception, it is possible to use your hobby to your advantage and make money doing what you love. This is achieved through reviewing games, providing tutorials, and entering tournaments.

Reviewing Games

Create a catchy name. Whether you are creating a blog or using YouTube, you need to have an attention-grabbing moniker. This can be something simple, such as your given name and "video game reviews" after your name, or you can build a brand from the ground up, creating an entirely new name, website graphics, and even a theme song or jingle.

Set up an online presence. You can use YouTube or start a blog to create an online presence, but having some sort of venue online with which to provide your review is essential. If you start a YouTube channel, make sure you have a decent video camera and a place to set up.

Some people make great money via YouTube and have even gone so far as to make it their full-time job. This is rare and can take years of hard work, so don’t expect a quick payout.

Begin reviewing games. Start reviewing new games; most people will not be interested in older ones. When a new game comes out, you can either buy it or rent it, though buying it will make making a profit difficult. When you review, touch on what makes the game great, what it is lacking in, and what type of audience it is best suited for.

Know your audience. If you are targeting videogame players directly, speak or write as though you are talking to players. If you are targeting parents of videogame players, use language that explains games clearly to a novice.

Share your reviews with family and friends. Encourage them to share with others if they like what they see. The best way to build your business is to get your name out there. Even if you feel embarrassed or silly, tell your family and friends what you are doing, and ask them to please share your website or channel if they like what they see. This is a simple, easy way to garner more interest in your site.

Use hashtags to your advantage. In social media, hashtags are quite useful in linking your name to the names of others who are doing similar work. Whether you are using Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to talk about your new venture, make sure you are using hashtags.

Use ads to your advantage.YouTube videos have the option of including ads, which can help you start out in making money, while blogs have the option of using affiliate links and programs such as Google AdSense. Although you might hope for sponsorships in the future, these programs are a great way to start out making a little bit of cash.

Reach out to video game companies and offer to review games. Once you have established your presence online (think at least a few hundred followers and 6 months of consistent posting), reach out to various video game companies and offer your services as a reviewer. While you might not hear back from large-scale companies, smaller or up-and-coming companies may be just as eager to get their name out as you are.

When reaching out to companies, use formal language, and always be polite. Give them links to your site or channel, and explain how many page views or video views you receive on a monthly basis. These numbers are important in determining how effective you would be as a means of advertisement.

Testing Video Games and Building Followers

Test video games for video game companies. These jobs often don’t pay much but provide you with the joy of playing video games for money. As a test player, you will be responsible for providing company feedback about its game, and your input could determine whether the game is released, scrapped, or held back for improvements and debugging. Test playing is an excellent choice for those who want to make money for simply playing the game, and nothing else.

Play using Twitch or YouTube Gaming. Twitch and YouTube Gaming are online game-playing mediums in which others watch you and interact with you in real-time during your gameplay. Although these do not make you money out of the gate, you can make money down the road by building a following and making yourself known to video game companies and even non-video game companies.

Build a following. Using Twitch or other online gaming communities, you can build a following, which is a vital step in making money for playing games, as potential sponsors want to see that their products and company will be getting out to the maximum number of people possible.

Seek out or accept sponsorships. Once you have to build a following, you can start seeking (or receiving) sponsorship offers from major video game companies, which may simply provide you with new games and merchandise, or which may actually pay you a monthly amount to continue your online persona and gameplay.

Providing Gameplay Tutorials

Create an online presence. As with reviews, you’ll need to create an online presence. You can start a blog using a template such as WordPress, or you can create an entirely new website you’ve designed yourself. If you choose to use videos in your gameplay tutorials, a YouTube or Vimeo account will be a necessity, as well.

Give detailed accounts. A tutorial should be quite detailed and involved; after all, people are seeking out help. Provide step-by-step accounts of certain difficult spots, or provide a detailed overview of the game as a whole, taking photos or videos of areas of the game that are tricky or particularly interesting.

Record your gameplay. If you are able, record your gameplay to give your readers/viewers a visual account of what the game should look like. If you do not want to record, you can take pictures to illustrate your points and give visual learners a better means of understanding.

Advertise your service. Use social media to promote your online presence. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are all great ways to promote yourself. Use hashtags and regular posting habits to keep your name and brand relevant. If you have friends who are active in online gaming or tutorial sites, ask them to share your information, as well.

Use AdSense on your written site. If you choose to go the route of a site versus a YouTube or Vimeo channel, make use of Google AdSense, a program that uses your online space to advertise with predetermined companies. Typically, AdSense shows up as ads in the sidebar, or ads across the bottom of the webpage that can then be clicked out of.

Use discretion when choosing online ads for your site. Although most people do not mind a few ads, being overwhelmed by ads on both sidebars, as well as pop-ups and mid-text ads may discourage viewers from visiting your site in the future. If your site seems cluttered or difficult to read, scale down on your ads.

Use video advertisements on YouTube. If you prefer to use YouTube exclusively to get your content out, enroll in YouTube advertisements. Although the amount of money you make will be directly tied to the number of views you receive, this is a great start in making money playing video games.

Entering Tournaments

Hone your skills. Before you enter a tournament, you should make sure you are skilled at whatever game you’re entering to play. If you played the game once, but are largely unfamiliar with all of its levels, this is not a great game to play competitively. Instead, seek out tournaments that take advantage of games you are extremely familiar with.

Know your skill level. Many tournaments will have different levels to enter. If this is the case, be realistic with your own skill level and accurately identify whether you are an amateur, possess mid-level skills, or are practically a professional in your ability to maneuver through the game in question. If you are a lower-level user but want to improve, spend a few weeks working on the game.

Start in small tournaments. If you are entirely new to the world of video game tournaments, start out in small ones, with lower payouts. Once you have gotten your feet wet and become familiar with how they work, you can move on to larger tournaments with higher payouts and more competition.

Only spend what you can afford. Some tournaments will require an entrance fee, while others will require travel. If you cannot afford to travel, or you cannot afford the entrance fee, resist the temptation to enter, anyway. Although you would certainly make your money back if you won, if you do not win, you are out of money you could not spare in the first place.

Make use of your winnings. Tournaments range widely in terms of payout. Some tournaments do not pay at all, some pay in merchandise, some pay as little as $10, and some pay as much as several thousand dollars. Do your research before entering a tournament and don’t discount those that only provide the merchandise as a reward; this merchandise can then be sold for profit and may make you even more than if you’d entered a cash-paying tournament.

Making Money Streaming

Get a computer or gaming system that you can stream on. To stream online, you’ll need a powerful PC with a good processor and video card. Some platforms like Mixer and YouTube Gaming allow you to stream directly from your console if you don't have a computer to stream. If you're a PC gamer, you can get a dedicated streaming computer and play the game on a separate computer or stream and play games on the same machine. You’ll also need a fast internet connection to stream games online.

If you’re streaming on one computer, you’ll want a PC with a 4-12 core CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a graphics card that supports DirectX 10.

If you’re streaming on a dedicated streaming PC and gaming on a separate computer, the streaming computer does not need a good video card, but does need to have a video capture card.

A good gaming/streaming PC will cost anywhere from $1,000-$3,000.

To stream at a decent quality, you’ll want an upload speed of 2-5 MB/s and a download speed of 40-100 MB/s. You can do a speed test on your internet connection to see what your current speeds are.

Decide which platform you want to stream on. The 3 biggest platforms to stream on include Twitch, YouTube Gaming, and Mixer. Visit each site and determine which platform you’d like to stream on.

Mixer is easier to set up, is more interactive, and has a lower latency, or lag, than it's competitors.

Twitch has great monetization options but a much larger audience. This makes it easier to get lost as a new streamer amongst all the competition.

YouTube Gaming has a large potential audience and is easy to set up but you cannot start monetizing your stream until you have at least 10,000 views.

Create an account and set up your stream. To set up your stream, you’ll need to use streaming software like Xsplit, Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), or Lightstream. Decide whether you want to use a webcam so that people can see your face and reactions while you play the game. Then, create your account on the platform you chose and connect your streaming software to the streaming key in your new profile.

Open Broadcaster Software and Lightstream are both free to use.

Using a webcam isn’t necessary but may bring new viewers to your stream.

Interact and build your audience. Talk and interact with your viewers and the people in your chat. You can give advice to viewers or answer viewer questions to grow the bond between you and your fanbase. This will create a connection between you and your viewers which may result in them revisiting the stream. Respond and interact with people on social media. Try to be entertaining in some way so that viewers will want to come back and watch your stream.

Keep an eye on the chat for your stream and respond to questions that people ask you.

Most streamers are either really good at games or have an entertaining and fun personality.

For example, Dr. Disrespect is an online streamer who dresses up in a costume and puts on a tough-guy persona. This makes his stream a high-octane experience that's also entertaining and funny.

Set up a way for your viewers to donate to you. Some platforms like Twitch have a donations system built-in. You can also provide additional ways for your viewers to donate by setting up a profile on online donation platforms like Paypal or Patreon. Enable alerts on your stream so that people can leave a message when they donate or subscribe. Add the donation link in the profile for your stream so that people have a way to support you.

You can set up alerts live on your stream using software like Streamlabs. You can also configure the alerts to display a live message on the stream every time someone donates.

Instead of calling the money donations, you can refer to them as tips.

Seek sponsorships from gaming-related businesses. Sponsorships from computer or gaming companies could provide you with a yearly stipend, discounts on hardware, and affiliate links that will generate income every time someone purchases a product using your link or code. Reach out to companies or brands through their contact page or through their sponsorship submission form if they have one. In your message, explain how you can use your popularity to get them more recognition and sales. Set yourself apart from other streamers and gamers by explaining what makes you unique and detailing how you'll promote their brand.

For instance, you could say something like "I have 300 subscribers and mainly cater to kids ages 7-10. There's a lot of potential in this age range because they are trying to get into gaming for the first time and will ask their parents to buy your equipment if I promote it."

Most companies will have information about sponsorships on their website.

Look at popular streamers and see what their sponsors are. Then, go to their websites to find an email address that you can contact.

If you have a lot of viewers, subscribers, or influence, companies will be willing to give you better benefits.

Typically you'll need anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 followers to get sponsored, but there are instances where you may get sponsored with less.

Companies that offer sponsorships to streamers include Corsair, Razer, and G2A.

Build your subscriber count for steady monthly income. On some platforms like Twitch and Mixer, you can get subscribers that pay you every month for access for special benefits like emotes and other exclusive content. To gain the edge over other streamers, make the subscription content unique. You can do this by coming out with exclusive subscriber-only content or by giving subscribers benefits in your chat.

Encourage your viewers to subscribe to you so that you can continue coming out with content.

Subscriber income could be anywhere from $3 - $10 per subscriber depending on the platform and subscriber level.

Enable ads when you get a lot of viewers. Most platforms will allow you to enable ads, which gives you income every time someone views it on your stream. Ad revenue differs depending on which platform you're on, but you can usually earn a few dollars per ad if you have over 2,000 concurrent viewers.

Keep in mind that this may sometimes interrupt people's viewing experience with an ad.

To enable ads on YouTube Gaming, sign up for Adsense in your YouTube Partner settings. Then, go into the monetization settings to enable ads and choose the type of ads that are shown on your stream. You'll need at least 10,000 views on your stream before you can do this.

To run ads on Twitch, apply for their Partner program. Once you're accepted, navigate to your dashboard to determine the length and frequency of ads on your channel. To become a partner, you'll need to produce regular content and have regularly engaged viewers.

You must have 2,000 followers, and stream 12-15 hours each month to qualify for partnership status on Mixer. Once you're a partner, you can enable ads on your dashboard.

Becoming a Professional Gamer

Choose a game that you love to play and that has an audience. If you want to become one of the best at a certain game, it will have to be a game that you enjoy playing. Play a bunch of games to see which style you like best. View streaming websites to see the most popular games. Games with a large audience typically have tournaments with large cash prizes.

If you like shooting guns, you may like shooting games like Overwatch, Fortnite, or Call of Duty.

If you're into strategy, you may enjoy strategy games like Starcraft 2 or League of Legends.

It's easier to become pro if you train in a game that you’re already good at.

Practice to develop your skills. The more hours that you put into practice, the better that you’ll become at the game. It helps to drill certain moves that you’ll be doing in the game, such as button combinations in fighting games or mouse accuracy with first-person shooters. Sometimes, it's even good to face off against AI or computer-controlled players until you perfect the game's mechanics.

With any competitive game, it’s important to get live person vs. person practice so you get used to playing against other players.

Take 5-10 minute breaks every 1-2 hours if you’re gaming for a long period of time.

Scrims are high-level practice sessions with people that are just as good or better than you.

Most gamers spend thousands of hours playing before they become pro.

Watch YouTube videos and professionals to learn different strategies. Find professional replays or videos to understand how the pros play and what they do to be the best. Study their mechanics, gameplay, and strategy so that you can copy it and take advantage of things that other casual gamers may not understand. It might also help to join forums or message boards about the game you’re playing.

Top teams like Team Liquid, Dignitas, and Cloud9 regularly come out with YouTube content.

Enter and win gaming tournaments. There are tournaments that offer cash prizes for winning or competing. Usually, to get into these tournaments you must qualify by winning a qualifying tournament or competition. To apply to the tournament, find organizations that host them and read the rules to meet application and tournament deadlines. Make sure that you practice and prepare enough so that you can do well in the tournament.

Companies like Intel, Comcast, and Redbull all host tournaments for different games.

The biggest and most popular gaming tournaments include the Fortnite Skirmish Series, The International, and WESG.

Join a professional gaming team. Professional teams can provide housing, benefits, and a yearly salary if you’re a full-time pro-gamer on their roster. If you're one of the best gamers in the world, professional gaming teams will reach out to you with offers. Practice with high-level competition and become friends within the competitive gaming scene. This will open doors and opportunities to try out for different professional teams.

As a signed professional gamer, you’ll be required to participate in advertisements, promotional material, and tournaments.

You can also contact other players or gaming organizations to see if they would be interested in signing you.

If you're really great at the game, professional teams will see you as an asset and will reach out to you.

Get brand sponsorships. Once you become known, sponsors may reach out to you to sponsor you. Sometimes this comes with a yearly stipend for sponsoring their company, and other times it comes with benefits like free hardware. Reach out to companies like Intel and Redbull to see if they would want to sponsor you. If you have a large enough following or perform well in tournaments, often brands will reach out to you for sponsorship.

Your professional team who help you find different brand sponsorships.

As a sponsor, you may be required to have ads on your stream or participate in advertisements.

Getting a Job in Gaming

Become a game tester for a steady 9-5 job. Game testers playtest and discover bugs and glitches in new games so that they can be fixed before the game goes out to players. A game tester must be able to communicate effectively and write reports so that the game engineers know what they need to fix. To get a job as a game tester, look for open positions and apply online.

A college degree isn’t required to get a job as a game tester but can often help.

Game testers salary differs based on the company and your experience.

Coach and train other people if you’re good at a game. If you’re really good at a particular game, there are people who will pay you to help them improve their skills. Websites like Fiverr and Freelancer allow you to offer your skills for a fee. Once someone hires you, you’ll have to set up a time that works for both of you and coach them for an agreed amount of time.

People will typically look at your game stats to see whether you’re good enough to hire.

Gaming coaches typically make anywhere from $10-$15 per hour.

Create gaming videos or start a gaming podcast rather than streaming. There’s a large market of people who enjoy watching people review or talk about games. You can talk about new releases, review games, or talk about competitive gaming drama. Try to find a niche that isn't oversaturated and start creating content.

If you aren’t particularly good at a game and don’t want to stream, you can create video content or a podcast instead of live-streaming or being a professional gamer.

Be charismatic and engaging and talk about topics or make videos that are currently trending to attract the most viewers or listeners.

Become a gaming journalist if you’re good at writing and love gaming. Gaming magazines and websites need writers to create content for their platforms. If you’re good at writing, are a huge fan of games, or have a lot of knowledge of gaming, try to find writing jobs for a gaming company. Submit your application and give samples of your work. If the company likes you, they'll give you a call and hire you.

Most gaming writers work remotely.

It helps if you create gaming-related content before applying to the job.