The Journey to Becoming a Pro Gamer (Or At Least Making Some Cash on the Side)

We've all heard the saying, "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life." It's good advice, but for a large percentage of gamers who spent many happy hours breaking in the newest PlayStation and Sega titles in the 90s this seemed unattainable. Fast forward a decade or two and not only is this possible, it's an actual lucrative career choice. While not for everyone, the avenue for making money by playing games has widened considerably. There are now many paths you can take to support yourself through your love of videogames. This includes:

Livestreaming

With the videogame content industry worth an estimated $3.8 billion it's a no-brainer why people find this an attractive way to get a foot in the door. Streamers broadcast themselves playing games while their audience watches both how they play the game as well as their reactions while doing it. The most popular platform on which to do this is Twitch. Streamers make money in the form of ad revenue, Twitch subscriptions, as well as donations from fans who would like to see the streamers' work continued.

Another site worth subscribing to is Patreon. Like Twitch it allows streamers to upload content exclusively for fans who pay varying donations and monthly subscription fees for the propagation of their content. Essentially they're funding the content and creations they want to see before they're made, much the same way patrons of artists did in the past.

Let's Play

Let's Play commentaries are similar to livestreaming – the user plays a game and narrates at the same time. The main difference is that this content isn't produced live, but rather made in advance and carefully edited before the final product is uploaded for fans to consume. This style is favoured by YouTubers such as PewDiePie who have made the format popular. For those looking to get started with Let's Play commentaries, you're going to need a couple of things.

• A YouTube channel
  You could opt for Vimeo or another video hosting site, but generally YouTube is the most well-known, popular, and one that the majority of viewers are familiar with.
• Basic video editing skills
  They'll have to develop as you get better, but if you're just starting out then knowing how to make smart cuts and transitions is important. It's also worth getting your hands on some decent editing software. This gets pretty pricey, but there are a number of decent free programs out there to ensure you don't sink yourself before you start.

Going pro

This one is more of a lifelong commitment and involves finding a competitive e-sport you care about and utterly excel at, and entering tournaments with the goal of finding sponsors and winning prize money. Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends and Starcraft 2: these are all e-sports with a loyal following and regular tournaments that offer teams the chance to compete for cash prizes. How much prize money? Just last year, the 2016 Dota 2 International had a prize pool of more than $19 million that was split between the winning teams. However, the industry is fiercely competitive and you're going to have to be the best if you hope to walk away with sums of money that large. This isn't easy. Like any traditional sport, it's all about practice, teamwork and dedication.