The gaming industry was worth more than $180 billion in 2024, and it is continuing to expand exponentially as more offshoots and advancements keep emerging. Artificial intelligence is creeping into a variety of industries, but it feels like gaming is something that will always belong to humans. Therefore, it could be wise for people to work out the best way to pursue a career in the industry. There are various ways to get involved, with each option suiting a distinct personality type.
More People than Ever Becoming eSports Players
The eSports industry is one of the most exciting areas of gaming to watch out for. In just over a decade, competitive gaming has gone from relative obscurity to more than a $1 billion industry. With all the investment being pumped into the sector, it could soon be as big as traditional sports. This is coming through sponsorship deals from massive companies like Red Bull and Intel, as well as related sectors like the betting industry beginning to take more of an interest.
The fact that legacy brands like William Hill are getting involved with eSports highlights its potential. The long-running bookmaker offers players a world of betting at their fingertips, which now goes beyond horse racing and soccer markets to include Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and FIFA betting. With industry leaders like this jumping on eSports, there’s no doubt that competitive gaming is the real deal and could be as big as classic sports in the future.
One way to forge a career in this bustling industry is to become a professional eSports player. Esports Grizzly reckons that Mid-to-high tier eSports players earn somewhere between $50,000 and $75,0000 on their salary alone, and stand to make more money on top of this from competition prize pools. The major events now offer players the chance to snaffle up serious winnings if they can overcome their rivals. For instance, Dota 2’s The International has a record prize pool of more than $40 million.
Streaming on Twitch is Still Viable
With the eSports industry ballooning in size, it may soon be harder than ever to compete against the biggest names in the business as an eSports athlete. For people who want to play games at their own pace and take it less seriously, streaming on platforms like Twitch is still a viable business opportunity.
Twitch attracts over 140 million unique monthly viewers, and the top streamers have an average of over 30,000 pairs of eyes on their videos each day. Streamers with ten average viewers a day would stand to earn about $50 per month, while 100 average users can bring in $1500. Increase these viewing figures, and the potential earnings go up significantly.
The beauty of this is that anyone can start a channel, and it doesn’t require expertise in a game. Indeed, some viewers like to follow the journey of amateur players as they take on new challenges. The most important thing is to choose a popular title and make sure that you encourage a lot of engagement between spectators on the channel.
Game Developers are Always Needed
Many people dream of becoming a game developer and creating their own games, and it is arguably easier than ever to get into this field. This is because there are now so many different offshoots of gaming that budding coders can get involved in. Developers are required for mobile, iGaming, and console, and within each of these platforms there are multitudes of strains to pursue. Besides those, there are more cropping up thanks to new technology like augmented and virtual reality.
Some governments have witnessed the potential of the gaming industry in boosting the economy and have put systems in place to help start-up companies succeed in the competitive landscape. The UK, USA, and Canada are excellent places for aspiring developers to seek opportunities, as there are grants in place to encourage smaller companies. The aim is to spark innovation and enable the gaming industries in these countries to get ahead of the curve.
Anybody can get a feel for what it’s like to make a game with all the prebuilt engines and platforms out there. To get a taster, beginners could opt for a platform like Buildbox or Gamemaker: Studio. To follow a career in game development, it would be wise to do courses to enhance your skillset. However, starting with these options can help you decide if it’s for you or not.
Playing and Reviewing Games Could be Ideal
With all the games out there to choose from, players don’t have time to play everything. Therefore, the need for dedicated game review websites has never been more pertinent. Gamers can go to their trusted experts to find out about what they should be playing, and they won’t waste any time trying to figure it out on their own. Running a website like this is like a fantasy for many. That’s because the bulk of the daily workflow will be playing games and seeing if they’re any good.
The appeal of this career route is the fact that the start-up costs are minuscule. You can start a free website at first, and when you get more traffic and establish your brand, you can pay for an advanced page. To begin with, it may be wise to select a niche and stick to that, just so that users know what they are getting when they visit your page. Choosing a bustling industry where players are constantly searching for the best games and deals could be wise. There are loads of comparison sites out there, suggesting that this could be one of the best options.
The gaming industry may seem saturated and competitive, but there are still so many opportunities for anyone to get a slice of the pie. That’s because it’s constantly expanding, and new offshoots come about all the time. Choosing an aspect of gaming to follow and then seeking to innovate in that area could be key. It’s wise to copy elements of what successful people are doing while also trying to offer something new.
