So you want to earn money while playing games in your free time? In this article, I will tell you how you can make money on video games: test, stream, record play and write about them.
Before we begin
Making money from video games is a similar job to any other desk job which means even your favorite games can get boring real fast. there are both advantages and disadvantages to earning while gaming.
Advantages
Almost 60-70% of Teens and Adults make Video Games their main hobby. In a year, There are approximately 2.81 billion Gamers and the Global gaming industry generates an estimated 189.3 billion dollars. Top E-sports players earn millions of dollars per year and also have a huge fanbase supporting them.
Disadvantages
The main risk of playing video games is that it's not a healthy lifestyle and the people who are connected to games and the gaming industry spend most of the time sitting in one place and not moving much which can create different types of problems like Poor vision and carpal tunnel syndrome.
If you want to make money while playing games by yourself, like Live-streaming, posting videos on Youtube, Blogging about games, you have to invest your time and money to create high-quality content that people will enjoy. But it depends on your skills and a bit of luck.
So let's get into it.
How to make money while playing Videogames
Youtube
Youtube is one of the top platforms that come to mind when you want to monetize your hobby or a lifelong passion. You can record gameplay, edit them, and then upload them to youtube, for example, recording gameplay, walkthroughs, funny moments, 500IQ plays, etc.
But there are some requirements you have to meet before monetizing your videos like, Your channel should have 1000 Subscribers and your videos should have 4000 hours of watch time, after that, you can join youtube's affiliate program, and then you will be able to monetize your youtube videos, like showing ads before your videos from which you will receive a portion of the profit from youtube, other than that companies can sponsor your videos to advertise their product because people are more likely to trust advertisement if their favorite YouTuber mentions the product.
Twitch/Streaming
Game streaming and recording is the second most common route that every new person who is starting out in this field takes, It consists of live-streaming a game on the internet for the world to see.
The most popular platforms that people use for this are Twitch, Youtube Streaming, Hitbox, and Mixer, But the thing you have to note is that streamers do not earn a salary, their earning is made up of donations and advertising. Popular Streamers earn more in terms of more advertising contracts and more donations from their fans.
It's important to offer something new to your audience because you can't just enter a game that is highly saturated by too many top streamers, For example, League of legends is a highly saturated game and no one wants to see another new LoL streamer, they already have their favorites they watch regularly. So try to select a game add some unique twist to your videos/streams, So you can stand out from the others which will greatly help to reach your goal faster and easier.
Blogging/Reviews
Blogging and recording reviews are other famous ways that fascinate many people, in which you have to write articles about the game or record a podcast talking about the game to gather like-minded enthusiasts The secret to success in blogging and podcasts is to quickly complete your research and release your review before anyone else, this way it will be easier to gain new audience and the ads will generate the revenue for you.
After your Blog/ Review channel gains some audience the companies will contact your to promote their games which will generate more revenue and it is considered one of the best passive income methods.
Coaching
If you are good at Video games, know about secret tips and tricks that can help someone go from noob to pro gamer, and can teach others to play better, then you can create lessons, courses, and Fiverr gigs to teach someone in live sessions. You can go to the fan sites and other sites like Fiverr to start teaching others and earning from that
Trading of in-game items/Artifacts
In many games, you can trade in-game items/artifacts for real money, Most often you will find people looking for rare knife skins in csgo and flexing them in front of other people.
For some people, virtual in-game items are more valuable than expensive phones or a gaming PC and are willing to pay hundreds of dollars for virtual items, these items can even be sold for more than a thousand U.S dollars
Character/account leveling
In many games, people want to get the best/highest level character because of their stats or want to reach the highest account level but don't want to grind for it but are willing to pay someone to grind for them and get them their desired results. You can easily find these types of people in-game forums or fan sites.
But be careful because some of the game developers prohibit players from doing so and this can result in a ban, So it is better to get everything straight from both parties beforehand.
Tournaments/E-sports
Just like regular sports, there are e-sports where people compete with each other by playing Videogames but like any other sport, e-sports require extreme training and determination to the point where it isn't fun anymore.
Many online games have a ranking of the top players in the region, and the top players get invited to the tournaments to compete for prize money, If you can't compete in international tournaments you can easily find placement in local tourneys.
You can easily earn hundreds if not thousands of dollars from these tournaments, but keep in mind the reward depends on your skill level, you have to be the best of the best to even compete in these types of tournaments.
Keep in mind
• Everything takes time, you can't just start streaming, making videos, and start earning money right away, it takes time and determination.
• Do not get involved in gambling and hacks, you can lose money.
• If you are good at playing Videogames, you can generate some revenue from it.
Be patient and Good luck