We all love playing videogames; after all, gaming is one of the most popular hobbies in the world right now. According to research, videogames are also the most profitable industry in media, so you might be wondering how you can get your hands on some of that money. Of course, making games is a laborious and lengthy process, so you’re probably thinking there are other ways to get some cash from your hobby. You would be right, but it’s not going to be an easy road. Here are just some of the ways gamers can make some money.
View advertisements
No, really. There are services out there that allow you to earn some money back for every advert you view. As a gamer, you’re going to be on a lot of sites that show you ads, so why not get something back for your trouble? Our personal favourite site that offers this service is ogplanet. The site offers quick, simple rewards for viewing adverts. These rewards take the form of gift cards for lots of different services and storefronts, so you’re always going to find something useful in there. Don’t underestimate the power of advertising when it comes to making your money!
Become a pro esports player
Fun fact: despite what people might tell you, there’s no such thing as being too old for esports. There are professional esports teams out there with players in their 40s and 50s, and there’s no reason that you can’t pursue this dream even if you are a little older. Esports can be incredibly lucrative, with sponsorship deals going to the most prestigious and skilled teams. If you’re looking to make some money from your hobby and you don’t mind focusing on the most popular games of the moment, then esports could be an avenue for you to look down.
Develop a videogame
So you’ve been playing videogames for some time now, and every time you play a game you find yourself critiquing the design decisions. There’s always something you think you could do better. If that’s the case, why not put your money where your mouth is and try developing a videogame? It’s a long, arduous road to success, but if you create something that everyone loves then you’ll be able to sell it and pursue a career as a professional videogame designer. Make sure your game is hitting popular trends and that it has a unique niche; these things are hard to balance.
Become a gaming reviewer
It’s very, very hard to make money as a professional videogame journalist. Of course, it’s difficult for a journalist in any industry to earn a living, but videogames present an especially tough challenge; competition is fierce and the search for a novel perspective is endless. If you think you’ve got the chops to be a gaming writer and you don’t mind spending a long time with games, then becoming a reviewer could be the path for you. It might take a while before this particular choice becomes lucrative, but if you’re willing to stick it out, then reviewing can be a rewarding and exciting career.
Create a YouTube channel
Just like gaming journalism, creating a unique and interesting gaming YouTube channel is not easy. Competition in this area is perhaps even more fierce than journalism; you’ll need to capture and hold your audience’s attention when there are millions of other potential gaming content creators they could be watching. Still, if you think you’ve got a unique idea and that you can sell it, YouTube can be a good way to make money through sponsorship deals and advertising. Many gaming YouTubers began their channels as hobbies and are now operating them full time, so it’s not an impossible dream.
Stream on Twitch (or similar)
There are lots of different streaming platforms for you to try if you want to become a streamer. There’s YouTube Live, of course, but the most popular and famous streaming service is probably Twitch. All kinds of different content creators find a home on Twitch, so if you’re a gamer looking to make money, streaming can certainly be a way to do that. It’s a little more difficult to find a niche on Twitch than it is on YouTube, though. You should make sure you research which games are drawing audiences and play those; once you’ve built a profile, you can play games you love, but until then you’ll need to serve your audience first.
Become a videogame tester
This career avenue is not nearly as easy as you might think. Don’t get us wrong; videogame testers are incredibly important, and the jobs they do can be fascinating and exciting. If your idea of this job is “people who get paid to play videogames”, though, you may wish to disabuse yourself of that notion. Videogame testing means spending hours and hours making sure a game is as devoid of bugs and problems as the designers want it to be. If you often find yourself discovering glitches and issues in games, this could be the career avenue for you.
