There’s nothing wrong with having a traditional job. However, times have changed to the point that such roles are no longer the only viable way of making money. Believe it or not, it’s now entirely possible to embrace your nerdy ways and build an income through gaming.
This may not always be the easiest route to go down, and it’s certainly no get-rich-quick scheme. There are plenty of ways you can turn the hobby into a moneymaker, though, some of which could make you better off than if you did work a more traditional job.
Become An Esports Player
This is something that can take a long time to come to fruition, but the payoff is totally worth it if you make it all the way.
To start with, choose a game you want to excel in and use your free time to build up your skills. Not only will this help you mentally, but it should also turn you into an incredibly competent player. However, it’s worth seeing what titles have a prominent presence at esports championships, so you don’t waste your time training in something that isn’t played professionally.
Once you feel you’re the best you can be at that game, start establishing yourself in the field by competing in lower-ranking tournaments. If you’ve got great equipment and the skills to boot, you should begin climbing your way towards esports success. The more competitions you win, the closer you’ll get to establishing a team and making it to the big leagues, where the potential to win millions is within your grasp.
Try Quality Assurance Testing
Have you ever played a game and thought something about it was wrong and shouldn’t have made the final cut? If so, your talents might be best spent as a tester.
There are different areas you can cover in this role, such as quality assurance. This essentially entails playing through something with the objective of having fun. As you explore whatever’s been given to you, you highlight what stands in the way of your enjoyment so that the developer can fix such issues. Once you’ve found nothing more to criticize and are having as much fun as possible with the game, your job is done.
Getting work like this can be tricky, and it’s not the best paying job either. However, if you’re fortunate enough to land a testing role, you can still earn a reasonable hourly salary. Plus, you’ll get to see games before the rest of the public, which is an experience not many people get to boast about.
Visit Online Casinos
Gaming comes in many different forms. While most ways of making money involve video games, you can also try to beef up your finances by spending time at an online casino.
These places have hundreds of games for you to play, and the prospect of ending every visit richer than before is an enticing one. Obviously, there’s no assurance that you’ll walk away better off – it is called gambling, after all – but if you’re a risk-taker who’s feeling lucky, this could be an excellent way to make money while gaming.
If you’re unsure where to test your luck, Online Casinos has compiled a list of the best secure and licensed gambling sites in the UK. You can check it out and see which one has the games or welcome bonuses that most speak to you. They’ve rated the casinos in various criteria, including the best for blackjack, slots, free spins, and RTP (return to player), so it’s easy to work out which one suits you the most.
Review The Games You Play
If you love discussing the games you play and go into them with a very critical eye, then you’re perfectly suited to writing reviews. Not only does this allow you to share your thoughts about various games, but it could also make you some money.
You can go about this in several ways, from reaching out to existing review sites to establishing your own. Both options have their challenges, with the former potentially tough to find a job with. While you can do the latter whenever you want, building up a following and establishing yourself as a legitimate reviewer can take years. What’s more, you’ll need to be considered an authentic source for reviews if you want to make money and potentially have companies send you games for free.
Of course, the challenge of doing this isn’t necessarily any different from the other moneymaking opportunities listed here. It’s tough, but not impossible, to become financially independent through playing games. You have to be prepared for years of hard work before you get to reap the rewards, though.
Go Down The Streaming Route
Anyone with a webcam can become a YouTuber or Twitch streamer. All you have to do is film yourself online, and you join the millions of others who’ve done the same thing. Of course, to be successful in this venture and make good money out of it, there’s a lot more work involved.
It can take years to establish yourself as a gamer on these sites; that’s if you even manage to do it. Consistency, compelling gameplay, and a winning personality are all essential if you want to stand out from the many others trying to make a name for themselves here. Plus, you have the changing algorithms and constant risk of demonetisation that can threaten to knock you down at any point, making your rise to the top even harder.
However, if you’re determined to become an online gamer and have the dedication to make it through the tough times, this venture could be a huge success. It’s happened for plenty of others before you, and now they get to spend their days playing games online without worrying about money.
There’s nothing wrong with keeping gaming as just a hobby. However, if you’re truly passionate about this activity and have the drive to make money out of it, you’re evidently not short of options. Just keep your head up during the tough times, and you could come out the other side incredibly well off.