So you wish to do your hobby as a full-time job, but don’t know where to start? Gaming is an iffy subject with most, especially the older generations, who simply grew up in different times.
With Twitch streaming and Youtube Gaming being extremely popular next to its creators, as well as e-sports championships being mind-blowing, it can almost seem feasible as a career path.
The truth behind a successful career in the gaming industry goes far beyond step-by-step instructions. To become successful through the public eye you need to not only have great skill, but also charisma, the ability to work hard and practice, a good sense of humor that your target audience relates to, and so much more.
Before even beginning, make a list of career strengths to start off from. Look at your current skills, what you can improve, and what skills you already have that will be useful for being a professional gamer or gaming streamer. These skills also include good time management for maintaining schedules and many more.
If you’re trying to specialize in Esports, which began in 2007 with the Intel Extreme Masters tournament and became popular thereafter, you might want to look into Esport scholarships that some universities offer, since it is a sport and requires immense skill to become a pro.
After you’ve decided this is the path for you, you should first know what the career is all about, since it is arguably one of the top home jobs, and what the industry requirements are depending on what you’re aiming for.
Even if you are a gaming enthusiast, you’ve probably wondered how to become a professional one, so let’s get into the steps for the path to glory.
First and foremost, what is it that you do exactly? It is a career where you get paid to perform well in games, but there is more to it than that.
There are video game developers and software testers that all are a branch of this industry, as well as revenue streams, sponsorships, and tournament winnings.
These all are various levels to the same pyramid, meaning you can even be doing a combination of these things since they go hand in hand.
When being a professional gamer, you should be prepared for atypical work hours, since streams, tournaments, and so on can happen whenever from differentiating locations, especially if you have joined an Esports team. Being on a team means teamwork, in other words, sacrifice, so be prepared to make it.
Let’s break down what branches you have to choose from when taking this path in life, some having already been mentioned.
Esports
Esports is the most obvious one, as well as the most well-heard of since there are tournaments where areas are sold out of tickets. That is bound to make the news somehow.
This branch of the gaming industry focuses on virtual games being played against other people for prizes, or earnings if you will. Since the events are online, spectators can join to view and commentate on these competitions. These competitions often involve playing in teams to reach a common goal.
Each player uses their own gaming systems, which are checked pre-tournament. They communicate through headsets, even if they are near each other.
Whether it is Esports or Cosplay, you need a lot of practice to get good at it. This is specifically when you are looking to play competitively in leagues. A great way to begin would be to practice as much as you can by downloading the games and playing them on your PC. This will give you tons of experience about what you should be expecting when playing competitively. To download the latest PC games, please visit proxybay.github.io.
This line of work has one main attribute that everyone competing should have, and that attribute is teamwork. Playing requires good communication, quick reflexes, strategic thinking, creativity, good leadership, optimal sportsmanship, and everything else sports tend to need.
Esports can also be played remotely, so costs don’t climb often in this path, apart from the gear, losses, and so on.
The most popular games in Esports are CS: GO, Valorant, Rocket League, League of Legends, Hearthstone, and the list continues.
In addition, there are many positions you can find in this branch that you may want to work in, including shout casters, production crew, coaches for the teams, the players themselves, analysts, and event organizers.
Cosplay
Cosplay is weird to some, but in essence, it is simply dressing up as a character or concept in an attempt to realize a virtual universe or portray a character. Those who do this regularly end up receiving the term “cosplayer”.
This branch goes far beyond simply dressing up, since most do photoshoots and role-play the character they are trying to portray, even adding their mannerisms and gesturing habits.
The beginnings of cosplaying started in the fifteenth century for carnivals, where people dressed up as things they liked or found interesting, for example, objects, concepts, historical figures, and so on.
This tradition has continued since then, having been brought to comic, video games, and pop culture conventions.
Once you become popular enough, you start receiving sponsorships from brands and start getting invited to conventions to dress up and appear.
Essentially, you are an influencer that puts a lot of effort into their fantasy looks, and creativity into achieving them using makeup, costumes, wigs, accessories, and skills like sewing.
As for making a living, you as a cosplayer can join competitions that are normally held at conventions. Make sure to put a lot of effort into your appearance and ability to imitate, as well as your acting, and dedication.
Other branches from this line of work include brand ambassadors, event organizers, makeup artists, costume designers, and cosplay judges.
Game studio and game development work
Both these career paths require higher education and proper knowledge of how to execute them. In-game studio work, you can either become a consultant, a recruiter for the company you work for, or a software tester, which may give you better insight as to how this industry works from a productive perspective.
As for game development, it takes a lot of work, time, knowledge, and dedication. You must know how to program, usually in C++, but knowing other languages won’t do any harm either.
In-game development, you can also work in cinematography for the game, audio engineering, character design, and model animation, all of which require a higher level of skills. Gear Supply used pro audio gear to experience high-quality sound.
Live Streaming
Twitch, Youtube Gaming, and other platforms have made video game streaming extremely easy for even the average Joe. Many working in the gaming industry use live streaming as a solid revenue source.
Streaming means broadcasting you playing a game for others to watch online. These streams can include charity donations, private donations to the streamer, viewers commenting, and so much more.
Streaming helps brands find you once you’ve reached a larger amount of viewers, which leads to them giving streamers free merchandise as a source of advertisement. Other positions include technical support specialist, host, and sponsorship coordinating.
Overall, this industry takes lots of sacrifice in the beginning and is quite a gamble as to whether you will become popular or not, but if your heart is set on it, you might have just what it takes to find success within the gaming industry.
