Americans make $74 million worth of in-game purchases every year – think of that!
And that’s separate from the money splashed on consoles, game titles, and other accessories that oils the wheels of the industry. Staggering!
(But, It’s Fair To Ask) – Is Gaming A Worthwhile Hobby?
Well, looking at the current figures and forecasts, yes! Also, there are tons of other benefits besides the monetary part of it. For example, it has been found that maintaining a healthy gaming schedule boosts one’s mental sharpness. Of course, there are few issues like addiction and the tendency of younger gamers to get a little cranky as a result of the undesirable behaviors they pick from video games. Generally, gaming is a worthwhile area to venture into.
Here’s why:
There’s Money to Be Made
While some gamers are into video gaming for the sheer fun of it, technology has made it possible to make a decent amount simply by sitting in front of the console and showing the world how you play.
As such, the reputation of the industry had improved over the years from a community of slackers to four-figure or higher earners.
The figures don’t look bad at all.
Esports are the main money-making avenue in video games.
Regular tournaments are held in Esports as you would expect from any sport.
Each tournament has prize money up for grabs.
The median earnings for a player are roughly $8,300. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for a gamer to make about $1,500 a month from streaming their gameplay from the comfort of their homes.
A fistful of Esports streamers reel in close to $5,000 a month, but these are top-tier pro-level gamers that make up the celebrity cream of the industry.
Some celebrity gamers make as much as $10 million every year, like Evan Fong (VanossGaming) and Sean McLoughlin (Jacksepticeye).
YouTube is the main streaming platform but Twitch is rising (more on Twitch later).
As far as money-making is concerned, these are the top 8 proven ways to make it big:
1. Quality Assurance Tester
Game publishers want real players to assess the quality of games before releasing them to the market.
Your job as a QA tester is to play the game and provide feedback regarding the feel, user experience, and technical assessment in exchange for cash.
Think of it as being paid to solve puzzles.
Most QA gigs are contractual, so don’t even think you could live off it. However, a tester can make $10 – $15 per hour.
2. Game Tester
The main difference between a QA tester and a ‘Beta Tester’ or ‘Game Tester’ is that the former deals with a slightly more advanced product that has already met a specific level of quality that the developer wanted.
Being a ‘Tester,’ on another hand, entails attempting to ‘break’ a video game, or find ways to ruin or mess it up.
You could as well analyze why the game may not be enjoyable for users.
3. Professional Gamer
Here, you pick a certain game you feel you’re good at and play no other game but it until you become a razor-sharp expert at it.
You can set up a team and compete as one or go out there alone to make a name for yourself.
4. Gaming Entertainer and/or Streamer (just like PewDiePie)
PewDiePie is probably the most recognizable person when it comes to minting millions of dollars from showing the world how you play your video games, albeit with a touch of humor.
All you need is a camera or smartphone and creativity – anything entertaining will sell.
PewDiePie reportedly earns about $20,000 per video.
Not bad!
5. Join Twitch
Twitch is giving YouTube a run for their money.
The live streaming platform has risen to be one of the largest sources of surfing traffic in North America.
Their “Partner Program” pays partners – including those who stream their gameplays – $3 for 1,000 ad views; $5 per month per subscriber on your channel; and an array of sumptuous sponsorship deals plus Amazon referral links.
You can also accept donations via PayPal as you build your audience on the platform.
No wonder Twitch has more video game streamers than YouTube.
6. Contact Sponsors
Having a successful gaming channel up and running on Twitch or YouTube or both opens a new avenue of revenue – sponsorships!
Pretty any gaming-related company would want to work with you if you have the right size of audience and viewership on social media.
7. Play And Earn, Directly
This may sound unreal but, yes, you can be paid to play certain games.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, most sites that pay gamers for it do so in tokens or ‘coins’ that can be turned into prepay cards (Banatic, InboxDollars, and Swagbucks) or gift cards.
8. Game Play Tutorials
Back on YouTube – perhaps the least utilized yet well-rewarding side hustle for gamers is uploading your play tutorials on YouTube and getting paid via Google’s Adsense program.
In these videos, you tell newbie video gamers out there how you play your games or reach certain milestones.
Money Isn’t the Only Benefit
You must not make money on video games to find gaming worthwhile.
The benefits stretch far and wide beyond money.
Gamers are more optimistic than non-players if all other parameters are held constant.
Just as importantly, gaming has been found to teach actual skills, more so those pertaining to resilience and coping with failure.
Whether you look at it from the perspective of our modern world in general or business, these skills are exactly what you need to keep going.
Learning how to deal with failure, for example, is integral not only to entrepreneurs but also to everyone else trying to cope with life challenges.
Nevertheless, gaming trains your mind to maintain concentration for extended periods. Average gameplay on Twitch or YouTube lasts for an hour.
Multiplayer games such as World of Warcraft teach you some essential collaboration skills.
Collaboration can be learned.
You will be surprised by the number of workmates or classmates who can’t work in teams.
And because some games require coordination, you might want to play them to learn the necessary collaboration skills needed at your workplace or day-to-day life.
Last but not least, gamers like to view themselves as a community.
You don’t find a loner in the world of video games.
This sounds like something you’d need to beat stress, doesn’t it?
Teens who engage in videos show fewer signs of boredom, although they are prone to erratic behavior.
Anyway, you can’t be happy that fire cooks your food and get mad it burns your fingers, can you?
Conclusion
Is gaming (video games) a worthwhile hobby?
Absolutely yes.
There are tons of benefits besides the monetary part of it. For example, it has been found that maintaining a healthy gaming schedule boosts one’s mental sharpness.
Related
References
Playing Online Games: a Perfect Cure for Boredom
Why Playing Video Games is Better Hobby Than Most