Have you ever imagined converting the time you spend playing games to a money-earning professional gaming career?
What might be considered can be turned into a unique way to earn a living. There are several ways to form a career in video games.
The video games industry has come a long way.
An industry formerly aimed at children and teenagers has come to be a multi-billion-dollar system which almost similar to the movie and television industry.
Some eSports athletes, cosplayers, and streamers earn up to six or seven-figure salaries. Although not everyone that has a career in gaming makes as much as that.
If you are an ardent gamer and you are not sure how to make it more than a hobby, you can follow these steps to develop a new professional gaming career path:
1. Decide on your professional gaming path
The first step to becoming a pro-gamer is to decide on what way you want to take. Get familiar with it and practice it.
Playing competitively and Twitch streaming is two well-known parts of gaming, but they are not the only ones.
There is a continually expanding market for gamers as more people are taking up an interest in watching the games, and the tournament scene increasing exponentially over the years.
Then again, cosplaying has also gained recognition, with some of the cosplayers making up to $100,000 on an annual basis.
So, whichever path you chose to build your professional gaming career, ensure you find passion in what you are doing.
You require hard work and dedication in any way, and if you are not devoted, you will experience a hard time finding success.
2. Start practicing with AI or Bots
Several competitive multiplayer games allow you to practice against Artificial Intelligence or Robots.
Hence, if you are still in the process of learning the nitty-gritty of the game while trying to meet up with other competitors, this is a good starting point.
You have the opportunity of selecting a difficulty and practice on easier modes before reaching the harder ones.
It is also an excellent chance to get adapted to your controls and user interface of the game without having the problem of ruminating on where everything is.
At first, it might be a tedious task, but you can consider it as investing time in determining how to remain relevant in the gaming field.
3. Play and learn with real people
After practicing with AI or Bots, the next step is to play with real people. And who better to hit the battlefield with than your close friends.
Interestingly, a significant aspect of multiplayer games is that it somewhat functions as a social gathering of several gaming categories over the internet.
Having to play with friends also implies that you can rapidly learn the game together by sharing your experiences and giving each other helpful advice.
It can also be a platform for you to build a team of equally skilled gamers.
The act of gaming does not always come with fun and entertainment, and it can get intense and lead to arguments and misunderstandings.
However, it is what you have to deal with in the process of knowing your teammates playing style well.
In due course, it helps to know that you have finally brought together a team that you can depend on when it is essential to winning.
4. Look at professionals play
To be a good gamer depends on what you know and how far you can imagine. So, you need to be inspired by people that have gotten to the peak you are aiming to reach.
Seeing professional play allows you to learn how the pros do it, how their gaming strategies work, and their complex teamwork.
You will also be able to watch their key twitch, the combined effect of their varied decision-making, and other tips and tricks that will help enhance your gameplay.
Fortunately, many pro-gamers allow the world to see how they play live, which is made feasible with live streaming.
Twitch tv is an excellent place to see the pros in action. YouTube is also a unique platform to get in-depth knowledge about a game.
5. Be good at what you do
You will require specialization of skills if you want to get serious with gaming.
Although there are several characters, classes, and arsenal individually unique within each game, it still depends on the combination you find pleasure playing with the most.
Professional gaming, in general, comprises of gameplay on the field, which might be running around the map or jumping hastily into the heat of the action, being the support system of the team or being the main man.
Every aspect of the game comes with a measure of fun, but to be a severe and fantastic player, you have to be good at what you do.
6. Get some gaming kits
It can be upsetting to be in the heat of gaming action and see yourself losing out due to faulty hardware.
Hence, that is why we have several brands of gaming rig with the basic kits and hardware that will give you a smooth gaming experience.
The built-capacity of professional gaming laptops allow for intense gameplay, and they come durable, accurate, responsive, and will overall boost your gameplay and enhance your performance in gaming.
Gaming kits have excellent quality hardware, and you can choose to begin with cheaper alternatives.
Be aware that hardware plays a vital role in reducing errors in intense gaming action.
7. Study tips, tricks, and guides
Looking at people play means you can closely monitor their movements. But, this does not give you adequate information about the things that are going on inside their head.
One of the things involved in understanding the technicalities of the game is to carry out a thorough study on it.
You can find relevant and in-depth information on the internet, such as professional’s skills, weaponry, moves, the field of play, and many more.
The fact is, it might not be easy, but the hard work you put into study may be quite significant in winning games.
8. Learning from genuine experience
No one can become a professional gamer overnight. Even pro gamers have to train and practice for hours a day.
You can take a look at their live stream to get a glimpse of what professional gaming feels like throughout the day.
Constant gameplay and monitoring your progression about team performance comes in handy in the process of building a gaming career.
Consider every win and loss as a test to improve your gameplay. However, it is also essential to enjoy the game for what it is.
You should avoid using hacks but genuinely play games.
Although hacks or cheat may help you advance in the game, it isn’t a good step because you won’t be genuinely playing the game anymore.
Professional gamers who genuinely understand the game and take advantage of its mechanics without hacks or cheats are the real pros.
It is usually the reason why fellow players respect their determination to get to the top free of cheats or hacks.
9. Modify settings for performance
Most games are generally graphics demanding and might require you to possess a high-performance computer to experience dynamic gameplay.
However, if you don’t have a well-built machine, you can lower the graphics settings to enjoy a smooth ride in intense gameplay.
10. Be polite to fellow competitors
Be aware that as competitive it might get in the gaming industry, everyone is there for the gameplay. Even if they are out to win, they are still looking for a good game.
Don’t spoil the mood with ridiculous verbal brutality, especially if you are new to the game.
If you are friendly to strangers, you will be able to go far.
You will also be able to get a fellow player to put you through one or two things on mastering the game quicker and better.
Conclusion
Making a living and a constant income from professional gaming might be a daunting task, but as mentioned earlier, it is possible.
Even though you have no other alternative but to game combined with your full-time work, you can rest assured that you are living out your passion.
Jeff Finder is a Digital Nomad who travels around the world and blog about technology, gadgets, and laptops at Laptop Cut Blog. He is also an international speaker and love to persuade youth to find their voice online and make it count.