Professional Gaming 101: 5 Things to Consider Before You Make the Commitment 

Gaming is often seen as a hobby that a lot of people indulge in for fun; however, it is entirely possible to make a career out of gaming professionally. The idea of a professional gamer is a relatively new concept, thanks to the internet and the advancement of technology. There are several avenues that you could explore in order to become a professional gamer, from playtesting to streaming to tournaments, et cetera. However, before you decide to become a professional gamer, there are a few things that you will need to think about first. Keep reading to find out more. 

Finding Your Way In

First things first, you need to think about in what capacity you want to become a professional gamer. People make a living by testing games for software developers, which is often done remotely, which does mean that you don’t necessarily have to live in any one specific area. You might also choose to make a living from gambling professionally, which does require a lot of skill and knowledge, and it is also imperative that you do your research into the casinos themselves by consulting a range of casino guides like the ones from PlayLive.

Streaming your gameplay is also an option. There is certainly money to be made from gaming in this respect. There are several avenues to explore, including YouTube, Twitch or other social media accounts. That being said, it can be hard to gain traction and building an audience takes time. Finally, you could become a professional gamer who competes in Esports. Winning tournaments does often lead to huge pay-outs; however, entering the tournaments can be pricey after paying the application fee and travel costs. 

Practice & Experience

In order to make a career out of gaming, you will obviously need to practice; it takes more than luck. You need to make sure that you have enough experience behind you to help ensure sustainability. This will depend on the type of games that you want to make a living from, of course, and how you plan to enter the industry. However, if you are bad at the games and lack the knowledge of the basic principles and applications, then it is unlikely that you will find success. Some games also require strategies in order to win. Think about the games in which you want to achieve a professional status and log some time with them. 

Choosing the Games

There are several options that you can consider when it comes to choosing your game. Obviously, you can take a more rounded approach and refuse to narrow down your options. You can also choose to devote your time to becoming skilled at the newest games to be released. You could also choose to go for vintage or retro games; they have seen a resurgence of late thanks to the nostalgia they hold. The games that you choose can affect your chance of making it as a professional gamer. Think about the games that already have an audience. It is also worth considering the trends. Finally, you will need to acknowledge that most games have a shelf life; they do not remain popular indefinitely, which does mean that your skill set could be rendered obsolete eventually. 

Come up with a Plan

Depending on how you want to become a professional gamer, you will likely need to come up with a plan. The plan will differ depending on your end goal and the opportunities that you have available to you. You will need to be patient; building a career take time, especially in a competitive and small field like professional gaming. Patience and tranquillity can also help you to become a better player to; it helps to ensure that you won’t get flustered or panic and therefore make silly mistakes and lose. 

As part of your plan, you might want to think about how you can shore up your online presence. A lot of potential employers check out your online presence in order to get an impression of the type of person you are. Also, if you want to become a professional gamer in a competitive setting or if you want to stream your gameplay, then building a fanbase can be extremely beneficial. Think about posting game reviews and clips of your gameplay on your social media pages. It would also be advantageous to track the engagement of your posts to get a better sense of what your audience prefers. 

As part of your plan, you might also want to think about setting yourself a time limit or coming up with a backup plan. Unfortunately, not everyone who wants to be a professional gamer will make it. Dedicating too much time to this endeavour could mean that you miss out on something equally good. Think about how much time you have to work towards this goal alongside your other responsibilities, and think about coming up with milestones and a schedule that you want to achieve by certain dates. You can be a little generous but try to keep them based in reality. 

A Word of Warning

Before you decide to work towards becoming a professional gamer, it is worth considering what this could do for your enjoyment of the hobby. Sometimes, when something becomes a job or a source of income, it can diminish your enjoyment of it. Some people think that making money from their hobby will ensure that it never feels like work at all, but this is not often the case. 

The Takeaway  

Becoming a professional gamer is no longer a pie-in-the-sky dream; it is entirely possible. However, it is not the easiest industry to enter, which is why there are a few things that you will need to think about first. First, remember that turning a hobby into a career can mean that you lose your passion. In addition to that, you will need to think about the capacity in which you want to become a professional gamer and how this will affect your way in. Finally, doing your research and coming up with a plan can help to ensure that you have come up with the best path.