Making Money From Playing Games
Many gamers love the idea of quitting their day job and making more money by doing what they love to do, playing games at home. Some gamers have managed to do this very successfully, earning a significant amount of money from streaming their live gameplay online or creating video content of themselves playing games. In this article, we take a look at how easy it is to make money from playing video games and if it’s a career you should consider.
YouTube
When you think about making money online playing games, one avenue you might consider is a YouTube channel. A Youtube channel can begin making you money if you take the time and effort to build a large following. To apply to monetise your YouTube channel, you need at least 1,000 subscribers and at least 4,000 watched hours in the prior 12 month period. It takes time to build this number of subscribers and watch hours, and it isn't something you can accomplish overnight. Creating a YouTube channel alongside your current job will allow you to build up followers and video views. Once you have enough subscribers to monetise your channel, you can begin to make money; however, the rates often start low, and you will need to subsidise your income with another job initially. It can take several years before your channel has enough views and subscribers for you to make enough money to live off the income. Building a YouTube channel takes time, patience, and dedication. It isn’t as easy as you might first think, but it can be very rewarding if done correctly.
Twitch
Twitch is another channel that is used for live streaming games. This platform can be monetised using Google Adsense; you allow companies to advertise on your channel, and Google pays you for the number of times the video ads are viewed. Your videos will have adverts that pay at the start, end or during the content. Companies looking to advertise their products pay for this ad space as part of their marketing strategy. In addition, you can earn a set rate per new subscriber once you build up your twitch following. Many gamers utilise both Twitch and YouTube to make more money.
Your set-up
A key part of making money for gaming is getting the right gaming setup. Video viewers will want to see seamless gaming using top of the range equipment. Your gaming set-up should be aspirational and easy to show viewers your gameplay. When selecting your set-up, opt for quality equipment, it might be more expensive to purchase up front, but you will benefit from more views and subscribers on your channels. A custom-made PC can be an exciting talking opportunity for your channel. To help with costs, look out for a motherboard and CPU bundle and offers and discounts from manufacturers and part suppliers. You could also try and get free equipment through sponsorship if you have a large enough following. A camera is also a must when playing games and recording videos; your camera should record high-quality video and audio. Some gamers choose only to show their screen, whereas others show reactions and footage of their gaming, the type of content you want to put out will ultimately determine the location of your camera.
Gaming tournaments
If you’re a talented gamer, another way you can make money is to compete in gaming tournaments. Winning game tournaments can be very high paying; you can earn thousands of pounds for winning a single tournament. This type of gaming income isn’t for everyone; you need a lot of skill and talent to consistently win gaming tournaments and make a good amount of money.
If gaming is your passion, there are also career opportunities that follow the more standard 9-5 working pattern. Look for jobs in game development companies or game journalism, many skills and job roles are required to take a game from idea to release and then sale. If you want to start taking your passion for gaming and turning it into a way to make money, we suggest doing plenty of research. Start by having a plan before doing anything drastic such as quitting your day job. Building up a side income from gaming during your spare time is a great way to make extra money that could lead to a full-time job.