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by Lance Cody-Valdez
According to estimates, more than 3 billion people play video games worldwide. What was once a hobby for children is now a mainstream entertainment industry with a variety of career options for those with a passion for games. These are five ways you can turn your love of video games into a career.
1. Monetize Your Game Playing
If your dream is to get paid for playing video games, there are a few ways you can do it. You could start a YouTube channel with gameplay and live streams, gameplay tips, game reviews, or other game-related content. You could start a blog with strategies for playing a particular game or genre of games. To make money, you must build up a following and monetize views by including advertisements, affiliate links, or sponsored content.
You can create videos that showcase your gaming skills by using a merge video tool to combine videos and images to create compelling content. Use the tool to edit your video to the exact moments you want to highlight.
2. Assess Your Interests and Skills
If you are technically oriented, video game programming or technical support might make sense for you. If you are more artistically inclined, you may prefer to pursue a career creating video game graphics, writing stories, or working on soundtracks. If you love to play but aren’t that interested in making games, you may prefer a career in retail, sales, customer service, professional gaming, or game testing. If you like to write, you could pursue a job in video game journalism.
3. Improve Your Skills
If you are interested in a technical career, such as game development, you need to acquire the skills necessary to get a job. There are a variety of options. You can self-teach through trial and error or by using books and resources on the internet. You can complete a two or four-year college degree in computer science, information technology, or graphic design. You can also pursue programs specifically geared towards video game development.
You can take an online professional development course to learn specific skills, such as how to use Scrum, which is an Agile framework for developing complex software projects and facilitating collaboration and communication for video game development teams. Take an advanced Scrum Master course that’s part of a certificate program. When you have completed the course, you can test your skills by taking an assessment.
4. Get Your Foot in the Door
Competition can be fierce for coveted positions in the gaming industry. Don’t expect to start at the top. You may need to complete an internship, work in the mailroom or take another low-level job to get started.
5. Start a Video Game Business
You could start a game design studio, a video game store, or even a service that helps players with video game strategy. Whatever type of business you start, you must choose a business structure. A limited liability company protects your personal assets from your business’s liabilities. It also provides tax advantages and flexibility and reduces paperwork. You can avoid paying legal fees by filing yourself, but you must research the regulations in your state. Alternatively, you can save yourself some time and effort by using a formation service.
Breaking into the video game industry isn’t an easy path, but if you love gaming, it can be worth it. Taking steps such as starting a business and exploring educational opportunities will help you get started.
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