Video games have reached such popularity that in many countries very popular tournaments are organized and with very high jackpots, reserved for professionals (on the most famous video games even thousands of members can participate).
If you are a big video game enthusiast and want to pursue a career in this sector or, more simply, start earning some money for yourself, in this guide we will show you how to earn with video games from home or creating your own clique. of friends and companions with whom to exchange ideas and share projects. We would like to warn you that to get to do a real "job" (with earnings often higher than those of many trades on the market) great sacrifice and commitment are required; better to start from the bottom and make some small gains with what you have or what we can do, then the rest will come by itself.
Ways to make money with video games
Below we have collected, from the easiest to the most difficult, all the legitimate methods with which we can earn with video games. We always start from small earnings and begin to make a name for ourselves, so that one day our earnings are such as to be able to do a real job (complete with an indefinite contract, sponsorships and so on).Resale of used games
The simplest method that everyone can apply is the resale of the games used in our possession: if we have been playing for many years (at least since 1995) and we have always purchased the physical copies of the games (CD, DVD and Blu-Ray), they can having developed such a value among collectors that we can obtain much more than the original purchase price.The best site to sell your used games is definitely eBay: what is old and useless for us may be worth something that a passionate collector, ready to spend very high amounts to get the original copy of the game.
In this case the condition of the object will decide our gain : if the game support and its packaging are well kept or practically never opened, the gain is safe; while if the support or the packaging show signs of wear, the price drops drastically. When we sell a very old game we must take into account inflation, which tends not to make prices realistic: if a game from 1999, purchased at the time for 300, 000 Lire, we sell it for € 150, in fact we have gained a lot since, with the same inflation, the same game would be sold today for € 60-70.
If we do not know how to correctly evaluate our games, we recommend that you evaluate the sites listed below:
- GameStop
- gamelife
- Gamesy
Reviews on YouTube / Twitch
The second method that we can use to be able to earn with video games requires making video reviews on YouTube or direct streaming on Twitch, thus increasing the number of views on our channel dedicated to gaming.
In the case of YouTube, simply enable AdSense on your personal channel to earn from individual views, as indicated in our guide How to earn with YouTube, video channels and video blogs . The earnings at the beginning are very low, but with passion, commitment and ideas we will be able to earn large amounts every month (even 1000 € / month or more).
In the case of Twitch, we will only be able to earn when we become great streamers or players: they are a gold mine on the platform and are paid directly by Amazon to create challenges and videos on a specific type of game.
To make good videos or good live, we recommend you read our articles on how to record gameplay or broadcast games to live games and how to make live streaming on Youtube Live with live video channels .
Reviews on video game sites
Another (more difficult) method of making money with video games involves making reviews, previews, insights, videos and direct for Web portals that only talk about video games, such as Multiplayer.it, SpazioGames, Evereye and GamesVillage.
To realize this "dream" we will have to be great video game enthusiasts but also great critics: we will have to be able to understand every little flaw of the title, so that we can transcribe it in the digital content manager or bring it to the video review. In this case, depending on what we are asked for, we will have excellent writing skills, excellent dialectics and presence (for videos) to be able to make a career in the sector and become a chief editor or chief editor (after many years as external collaborators).
If this is your dream, do not hesitate to contact the "Work with us" pages on video game sites: even if at first the earnings could be very meager, it is all experience to be able to grow and become an expert in online reviews ( to be added also to the methods seen previously).
Playing in the big professional tournaments
The last method is definitely the most difficult of all (practically impossible for many): becoming a professional eSports player, that is, sporting events based on video games.
To become a professional player incredible efforts are required, also from the physical and mental point of view: we have to play many hours a day (at least 7-8), be constant in improving our skills and finally find a team or group of people who they intend to share the same dream and passion (most of the games are multiplayer, that is, play teams against teams). Once we have honed our skills beyond the simple pastime (we must be able to beat anyone, even in a team), let's register for the tournaments of the prize money games and put ourselves to the test: with the right amount of commitment we will win our first tournaments and we will begin the climb to the European and world tournament (where the cash prizes are very rich).
The most popular and profitable games are: Dota 2, Overwatch, League of Legends and Fortnite, but there are eSports tournaments also for soccer games (Fifa and PES), for racing games (Assetto Corsa) and for fighting games. (Tekken).
We will probably never become world champions, but by combining our skills with the other methods seen so far (directed on Twitch and videos on YouTube), we should be able to earn enough to make it a good alternative to classic jobs, especially if we are successful in the endeavor to be sponsored by some game manufacturer or some other sponsor linked to the world of games.
To know the dates of the most prestigious tournaments available in Italy, we invite you to consult the GEC website.
Conclusions
By carefully analyzing all the methods illustrated in the article, you will surely have realized that earning with video games is absolutely possible, but hardly the gain will be such as to replace a classic job : to avoid easy enthusiasm and early disappointments, we advise you to start with the simplest and easiest methods to apply even on weekends or outside working hours, i.e. the sale of used video games and videos on YouTube, so as to start immediately monetizing something. If we are really very good at a game, we can move on to Twitch and prize tournaments, but remember that the cash prizes trigger a great competition, attracting real "monsters" of the game (difficult to beat without a precise strategy) .Is your PC up to modern video games? Find out by reading our Guide to Hardware Requirements and Specifications to play computer games .
If, on the other hand, we love to play as a hobby and without making money from our smartphone or tablet, we recommend you read our articles on Offline games to play without internet on Android and iPhone and on the best Multiplayer Games for Android and iPhone .
