Get Paid to Play Video Games

From LoveToKnow VideoGames

Believe it or not, it is possible to get paid to play video games. While most people think that you have to go through some formal training to become a video game developer or artist before you can make a living playing video games, there are actually other opportunities out there that require no formal training whatsoever.

Get Paid to Play Video Games

A Growing Industry

In the past, video games appealed to a very select audience. If you were not a part of this specific demographic, the game developers wanted very little to do with you. These days, with the introduction of products like the Nintendo Wii, just about anyone can get into gaming. Video games represent one of the most lucrative industries on the planet.

Whether you're a hardcore fan of first person shooters or you are more inclined to indulge in some free online casual games, it is more than possible to get paid to play video games. We're not just talking about online contests for a little extra spending money either. You can make a career out of doing what you love to do anyway.

How to Get Paid to Play Video Games

There are many ways for you to get paid to play video games. The following three possibilities offer just a glimpse into what you can do, so don't be afraid to be a little more creative and take a few risks. There are countless facets to the growing video game industry, so be sure to keep an eye out for different opportunities.

Game Tester

Just like any other piece of software, video games are bound to have their bugs. As a result, every major gaming studio will hire a team of video game testers to seek out these problem areas. From Nintendo to Electronic Arts, all of these video game design studios need people to help them perfect their games.

Although it will vary from company to company, the experience of a video game tester is quite similar across the industry. It is not out of the ordinary to work very long hours and it is absolutely imperative to be highly detail-oriented. More likely than not, most days will be spent playing the same sequence in a particular game over and over again, looking for problem areas, replicating them on demand, and documenting everything that you notice along the way.

Professional Gaming Tournaments

If you're really good, you can get paid to play video games in massive tournaments. One of the more recent developments is MLG, or Major League Gaming. This league is not unlike other professional sports organizations, such as the National Hockey League and National Basketball Association.

The majority of these tournaments tend to focus on the first-person shooter genre, getting gamers to play such titles as Call of Duty and Halo. They typically work in teams and then the winning team is awarded the big prize. For some of the best, it is possible to earn over $100,000 a year. Talk about getting paid to play video games!

Aside from tournament winnings, these top players also attract lucrative sponsorship deals, not unlike athletes who participate in skateboarding competitions and other such events.

Game Reviews and Journalism

Do you have a knack for the written word? Given the nature of the Internet, there is an increased demand for video game writers and reporters. The starting pay on many video game blogs may not be very high, but they can serve as a stepping stone toward a full-time position at a major video game magazine.

Typically, more money is made by writing in-depth video game reviews, because these require more time and effort. If you think you have what it takes, you might even get a job writing about video games here at LoveToKnow!



 


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