We’ve come a long way since the days when video games were a hobby market directed at children exclusively. Icons like Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Mega Man have been joined by a host of modern mascots, like Master Chief, Kratos, and Solid Snake, that cater to an older, more sophisticated audience.
With more recognition as a valid art form in entertainment, video games have also enjoyed an explosion in popularity. Over 1.2 billion people play video games, and at an average of $50 to purchase a new game, the industry is enjoying a healthy payback for producing engaging, interactive entertainment.
If you have a passion for games, no matter where your strengths lie, there are opportunities for you to enjoy a percentage of that cash flow, while you enjoy playing your favorite games for a living. Here are the top five ways you can make money, while playing games, in the video game industry.
Get a Job with a Game Developer
The most direct way to earn money from video games is to become one of the people who creates them.
The advantage you have here is access to a stable job that provides pay, benefits, and a work culture filled with other gamers just like you. Possible jobs you can explore include:
- Game Designer
These are the folks who actually figure out how the game will play, what the internal rules of the game are, how players interact with the game world, etc.
- Concept Artist
These are the people who conceptualize and draw characters, costumes, weapons, environments, and objects in the game world.
- Programmers
These are the tech geniuses who design game engines, program the game to run, and tie all of the other elements together.
Even if your strengths don’t lie in the creative space, other roles within the industry include:
- Producers
Producers track budgets, timelines, and other business factors to ensure the game comes out on time, within its budget, and at a high benchmark of quality.
- Marketing Managers
Even bestselling series need a good marketing campaign, and these folks figure out how to hype the game for returning players, or how to tap into a new player base.
- Human Resources Specialist
Even game developers have to worry about taxes, healthcare, and retirement. As a human resource specialist, you can help those experts focus on making great games, and not worry about whether or not a paycheck will come in on time.
There are a plethora of other roles that you can consider, and I don’t have space to list them all, but the point is that video games, as a business and art form, require large teams of talented people to succeed. No matter what your skills or formal training, there are many opportunities in the industry.
Start Your Own Gaming Blog or Gaming Channel
Whether you believe it or not, there are people all over the world willing to pay to learn more about their favorite games, receive tips and tricks about how to beat a game faster or break into the industry, and even just watch you play.
I mentioned earlier the player count across the globe is over 1 billion people; that’s a large market craving more ways to indulge in their favorite hobby, and gamers know that they’ve got to spend money to get the best experience possible. By starting your own gaming site, you’ll be able to connect with others who share your passion, educate new players and learn from more experienced ones, offer a unique take on a hot topic, and yes, make money doing it.
Whether you charge a subscription, make a deal with advertisers, or welcome contributors who will pay to post on your site, there are plenty of ways to make money with your own website.
Open Your Own Gaming Shop
Buying new and used games has boomed to the point that it’s practically become a market in and of itself. Even used games that haven’t been out that long can see customers getting back nearly as much as they spent when they bought it new, and any quick glance through eBay will tell you that rare games from the past decades have become collector’s items that sell for upward of five times their original price.
If you’ve got an entrepreneurial spirit, and dream of using your extensive knowledge of games to build a career, while setting your own pay and hours, your own gaming store will help you achieve all of your goals.
While you may start off exclusively in games, you can distinguish yourself by becoming a professional consultant, able to identify games that will appeal to a customer’s personality and playstyle, which is extremely helpful for parents looking to find a game that will appeal to their child, or a gamer looking for a similar experience to a game they just finished.
As your business grows, you can even look into other aspects of geek and nerd culture to include in your store. Comic books, board games, action figures, cartoons, and anime are all staples of geek culture that many gamers enjoy.
And do not forget the power of the Internet! Along with your brick-and-mortar store, you should have an e-commerce presence as well. Even though I mentioned eBay, it would be best to establish an online store of your very own. Not only will you have creative control of your website, but it can help create your brand as well, and expand your reach to gamers worldwide!
Compete in eSports
If all you want to do is play games, earn a living doing it, and have the skills to compete with the best, you can train for and compete in eSports.
A recent trend that’s becoming a bigger and bigger market for gamers and gaming fans, eSports offer professional leagues, with sponsored teams, the chance to compete and earn millions in cash prizes.
Be aware – eSports is a very competitive industry. It’s not enough to just love games or be a good player individually. Like any football or basketball professional, you have to spend hours each day training, learn to work within the framework of your team, study other teams to gauge their strengths and weaknesses, and have to be cool and calm under pressure.
It’s a tough market to break into, but if your passion for games translates into top-notch skills that guarantee a winning edge for any team, consider training towards joining an eSports league.
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