How to Make Money Playing Games: 5 Ways

How to Make Money Playing Games: 5 Ways

While you can make money playing video games, it isn't easy. Here are some options and whether they're suitable for you.

In today's world, it's certainly possible to make money playing video games. But the truth is that its hard work.

Many people who go this approach will give up after a few years (or months) since the labor takes away gaming fun. They end up loathing what they once loved instead of doing what they love. It's also perilous because of the crowded market. Hundreds of others have tried and failed for every success tale.

We wouldn't advocate it unless you're young, unmarried, and prepared to put in several years of effort, knowing that it could all be for naught. But it's a distinct possibility! Here are a few ideas for how you might start making money while playing video games.

1. Get Paid to Live Stream

Anyone can broadcast their games in real-time to the rest of the globe. Aim for a large audience (which you may monetize with adverts) or a dedicated following (to monetize with donations and subscriptions). Twitch is the most popular streaming platform, but YouTube is also an alternative.

Why It's Difficult

Building a live broadcast audience takes a long time. It's possible that you won't break ten viewers for several months and that you won't hit 100 viewers for many years. Most streamers never get there, and to make live broadcasting video games, you'll need tens of thousands of regular viewers.

It takes a long time to build a live broadcast audience. It's likely that you won't break ten viewers for months and that you won't reach 100 viewers for years. Most streamers never make it there, and you'll need tens of thousands of regular viewers to earn a job broadcasting video games.

Getting Started

Fortunately, there is a low barrier to entry for streaming. All you'll need is a good computer, some games that others want to watch, a kind demeanor, and streaming software. Check that your internet upload speed is sufficient to handle the stream as well as the game you're playing.

We've shown you how to get started using Streamlabs OBS, which is an excellent starter option for PC gaming. You'll need a capture card if you're playing on a console, which is an additional cost.

2. Try Your Hand at Games Journalism

Do you aspire to be a writer? Start creating the news, reviews, and interviews about a specific game, genre, or industry by joining an existing site or starting your own. As a freelancer, you can get paid for each piece if you write for an established website. You can monetize your traffic with adverts, Patreon subscriptions, or other similar methods if you're launching your website.

Why It's Difficult

As with most kinds of journalism, games journalism is competitive. Lots of people want to write about games for a living! If registering for an existing site, you'll likely have to work for next to nothing while establishing a portfolio and proving your skills. Starting your site will take years to build an audience from which you can earn enough to live on.

Journalism may be time-consuming. To gain scoops before others, you'll need to tap into various sources 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for news writing. It takes a long time to conduct thorough reviews and interviews. Writing every day, in general, can be a significant drain on mental resources.

Getting Started

Look for job openings at medium-sized gaming establishments. For the time being, avoid huge gaming sites like IGN and startups with no readership. Check to see whether you have any writing samples on hand. Send in your application (along with writing samples) and cross your fingers. If you don't have any examples, start by volunteering to write for tiny websites.

We don't recommend starting your own games journalism blog until you've worked for a reputable publication for several years. It's difficult enough to write every day. On top of that, you've got to manage a website. That's a whole new level of effort, and it's easy to burn out on it.

Players who are new to multiplayer player-versus-player (PvP) games enjoy reading guidelines. Creating a website for written guides, uploading video guides to YouTube, or publishing guides as ebooks are options. The first two are frequently monetized by advertisements and donations, whereas the ebook route is based on sales.

Why It's Difficult

Anyone can write a guide. You'll need to produce guides for popular games to make any money from them, but the more popular the game, the more competition you'll face. To set your guides distinct, you'll need to provide more insight than others, which will require a significant amount of time and effort to establish yourself as an expert.

You'll also require excellent writing abilities. Guides must be thick and detailed while also being exciting and understandable. Whether you're writing for the web or selling ebooks, formatting abilities are essential.

GameFAQs, for example, has a "Bounty Program" that pays you money if you're the first to produce a complete tutorial for a game. The majority of these tours cost at least $200, which sounds fantastic. However, when you consider the amount of time it will take you to learn the game and explain every detail, you will be earning much below the minimum wage per hour.

Getting Started

Find a popular game, figure out what players are having trouble with, learn the ins and outs of that problem, then teach others how to overcome it themselves.

Aim for gold guidelines, leveling guides, and raid guides in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Look for build and mechanics guides for PvP games like Overwatch or Valiant. And for single-player games, targeted guides on themes like winning a particular Achievement/Trophy will generally be the most successful.

4. Host a Gaming Podcast or YouTube Channel

Have a lot of things to say? Create a gaming-related daily, weekly, or monthly show. It may be an opinion-based roundtable debate, a series of interviews with high-profile players, game-specific tips and tactics, or anything else.

Ads and sponsorships can be used to monetize podcasts and YouTube videos, but Patreon donations can also be used to fund this format.

Why It's Difficult

Before you start earning money, you'll need to create a sizable audience. People must be interested in your show for them to watch it. The show will fail if it is uninteresting, shallow, has poor quality, or is inconsistent.

In some ways, it's a cross between guides (#3) and live streams (#1). You'll need a guide creator's knowledge and insight, as well as a streamer's dedication and personality.

On the bright side, podcast content does not need to be as comprehensive as a guide, and your personality does not need to be as distinct as a streamer's. You may, for example, dedicate a channel to gaming news for a specific genre.

Getting Started

We've written about how to create a podcast and how to start a YouTube channel. These are some excellent places to start.

5. Win Gaming Tournaments and Acquire Sponsorships

PvP games are rife with tournaments. Of course, the higher the prize pool, the more popular the game becomes. If you're good enough to join an eSports team, you might be able to make a decent living off of winnings and sponsorships. Most competitive gamers also use live streaming (#1) to supplement their revenue.

Why It's Difficult

Not everyone is capable of succeeding. You can be a world-class player and still lose money in a tournament if you are knocked out early. Even if you win a large sum of money, it may not be enough to cover the costs of hotels and airfare. You can't live off the winnings if you aren't continuously at the top.

In addition, the eSports sector is still in its infancy. Even if you get a spot on a prestigious team, your "compensation" may be less than minimum pay. Con artists and crooks prey on unsuspecting players in the sector. There have been reports of players not being paid what they were promised on occasion.

Getting Started

Look for a popular PvP game with many tournaments and a lot of eSports attention: practice, practice, and more practice. As your skills improve, connect with other professional gamers to get your name out there.

You'll probably have better luck (and make more money) as a non-competitive streamer. That way, even if you're not the best, people will still love watching you.