Make Money Online Playing Video Games, A Beginners Guide On How To.

The gaming industry sure has flourished throughout the years. I still remember the days when Gamers like me were called as people with no life, bullied every time because the only thing in my mind was video games and anime / cartoons, being called a nerd, or a geek, it was even uncool during that time. Now when you go online you see gaming contents all over the internet. The present is definitely a good time for me.

I did try my best on trying to make a living out of gaming but there are a lot of factors for a gamer like you and me can potentially become successful. Just a heads up to the readers that this isn't any guarantee that you'll be a millionaire gamer who plays video games like Pewdiepie or any Pro Gamer that you idolize when watching tournaments live or on livestreams. This is based on my experience and understanding what other Gamers do to make a living playing video games. Sounds really exciting so let's cut to the chase and start it with...

1) GAMING EQUIPMENT, GEAR, or PARAPHERNALIA

• Gaming PC

In order for you to start gaming, you need to have a good gaming PC. If you have a really low performing PC spec then you shouldn't be in this venture. You better find something else to make a living with. You will always need to have your gaming PC upgraded every time because new Video Games released tend to have the need for better PC requirements. Another factor for upgrading because sooner or later your rig will perform slowly and die.When your PC dies or a part is broken, it will be hard to find a replacement because the manufacturer might not be producing any more of those components. So you will have no other choice but to buy a brand new Gaming PC.

You need to have a knowledge in PC building. The main reason for it is to know how to make quick fixes when things in your PC don't work and it will cost you money for repairs. You might only need a part to upgrade rather than replacing everything by buying a new one. Building your own PC is way cheaper than buying a full built gaming PC. If you have knowledge in PC building then there is less chance that you will be ripped-off by salesmen in computer shops. 

My setup isn't that much. Most of the games I can record are low spec. My choices are card games like Shadowverse or Poker. I prioritize on the audio because of voice over recordings. Building my gaming empire from low-spec. Start from the bottom then to the top!

 I used to have a Gaming PC but switched to laptop when I started working on a full-time job. I really needed something portable that time. I'll be switching back to a Gaming Desktop when I save enough money. Expect to see high quality gaming contents on my blog or channel when that time comes.

• Camera

Aside from having a very good gaming rig you also need to have a good quality camera. It doesn't need to be really HD like a 4k camcorder. You can just start with a 1080p webcam. Most gamers I watch on Youtube use a 1080p camera. Any brand will do. The brand doesn't matter as long as you can deliver quality content.

• Microphone

Alas! one of the big players in getting that great quality is audio. Use a USB condenser microphone. The brand I'm using is Samson. In my opinion it provides great quality audio recording. There are other USB condenser studio microphones you can choose from it's up to you what you're comfortable with. Communicating with your viewers plays a great role in building a relationship. Yes, having a good relationship with your viewers will let them keep coming back for more. It doesn't really matter what you sound like. You're not into gaming to sing anyway. Just show you are passionate about your game and enjoy playing with your viewers. Don't worry about trolls or haters they're just there for attention.

• Headsets, Headphones, or Earphones?

Of course you'll need to hear the audio of your game, right? Don't play your games in a loud speaker. It'll get recorded through your microphone. Your recording software already records your video game visuals and audio. You can buy a headset (headphone and built-in microphone) in-case your USB condenser microphone goes bust. You can also use headphones which is just like the headset but without the mic. My best option is to go for earphones because it doesn't cost much like headsets and headphones, it is very easy to store and maintain unlike the headset and headphones they accumulate dirt because of the sweat it goes to the components. That is totally gross! I think for me one of the biggest reasons why people buy headsets/headphones is the design, the LEDs, and they want to look cool. Looking cool doesn't matter to me it's much better prioritizing the audio quality. 

•  Gaming Mouse/Mice

Forgive me when we talk about gaming mouse. I'm not an expert in it. The gaming mouse doesn't really bother me that much. I don't really play hardcore games like Shooters that require too much movement. I'm more into MMORPGs. The reason behind gaming mouse is the dpi. Which makes your hand movement more precise where you want it to be. Basically, it's sensitivity. The higher the dpi the more precise it is. Another thing why I like gaming mouse is the design. I want to buy gaming mouse not just because it looks good but the comfort of the grip.

2) STABLE HIGH SPEED FIBER INTERNET CONNECTION

For you to be one of the best online gamers, you need to have a very stable internet connection. All the lags and delays will keep you from performing at your best. If you are playing in an online competitive match then it makes a huge factor but playing offline or LAN doesn't hinder your performance. The biggest issue in why we need a speed similar to Fiber is the upload speed when you are recording games specially that video files are huge can range from hundreds of megabytes to a few gigabytes. I used to only have a broadband connection and takes me mostly an hour or more to upload a 15 minute video. Now with Fiber, it takes me only a few minutes. Subscribe to an internet speed that is really needed and what you can afford.

We just subscribed to PLDT Home Fibr Plan 1,899. The speed is decent. I can upload faster now.

The upload speed and download speed. The server is based in Manila.

3) BLOG ABOUT YOUR GAMING ADVENTURES IN YOUR WEBSITE

Let's start with a less expensive venture to monetize your gaming career. Blogging is the best option. It costs almost to nothing since you already have your gaming rig and your internet connection unless you are paying for a domain name. You can start with only a sub-domain and of course what I can recommend is using Blogger/Blogspot or you can sign-up with another blogging service. With blogging you can earn with CPC (Cost-Per-Click) which earns much more compared to RPM on Youtube (we'll talk about it later). You can setup Google Adsense ads for your website or other Ad Networks which suits you best. You need to constantly write beautiful content. It could be daily or every other day to keep readers to come back. It will also make your blog more visible to search engines. Learning SEO (Search Engine Optimization) will give you more viewers but don't rely on too much keywords. Use only a few and make quality content from what you gathered using your creative mind. It might take a little bit more effort but it won't hurt.

4) RECORDING YOUR GAMEPLAY AND PLAYTHROUGHS TO UPLOAD ON YOUTUBE AND OTHER VIDEO WEBSITES

What would be gaming without recording and uploading them on video websites! The viewers should get lots of action to watch because it's exciting and a video game. It will just be plain boring if only they'll see are still images on your blog. You'll need a recording software and a video editing software.

• Video Recording Software

First let's talk about the recording software. OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) is a free to use video recording software specializing for recording your video games and livestreaming. We will talk about livestreaming later. Learn how to setup OBS first before recording as you'll end up with recording with bad quality just like how I started using it. I was very excited during that time. Record with the highest quality possible. It has much bigger file size but with the best quality.

• Video Editing Software

There is Sony Vegas Pro which I think is used by shooter gamers in what you see in their cool frag movies. I'm not familiar with it and very used to Adobe Premiere however using premiere might cost you more in the long run because it is subscription based. It is not with the software that makes you a better video editor, it's how you make your video content entertaining to your viewers.

• Uploading to Youtube, Facebook, Twitch and other Video Sharing websites.

The most common place for a gamer to upload video content is to Youtube. In Youtube, you can get views, subscribers, and even make money with Google Adsense. It's just new that Youtube has their livestream platform. Youtube is much more strict when it comes to copyright content unlike other sites like Twitch and Facebook. Don't get your expectations high when uploading your video content. There are other creators though that instantly get famous by luck and if you're not one of them don't be discouraged and just keep uploading quality content and sooner you will get there.

Don't use your main account for uploading content. You'll regret it. Make a new channel that you can change your channel name. Focus only on the games that you are really passionate with so you won't feel stress. Just enjoy playing the game. It will take time to adjust to how you create titles, description, and tags. Just be precise that these actually exist in the content. You'll get to know what keywords you are visible in your Analytics so always take note of them and use it in your next content and get more views. Be more creative with each new content to get more keywords in your Analytics.

Uploading video content in Facebook and Twitch is different. Each website has its own algorithm and system on how you will be discovered. What I can recommend you to do is focus on the website that performs the best for you. If Youtube isn't for you then try other ones. Video websites change through time and always have a backup in case things don't go your way.

5) GOOGLE ADSENSE

Let's talk about making money online with Google Adsense on Youtube. Don't expect too much about your earnings. Earnings on Youtube is based on RPM (Rate-Per-Mile or Rate-Per-Thousand Impression). I'm not keen on the computations so you'll have to dig more information about this online. Earnings will depend on the target region, rate based on date, and your niche. There are many factors that affect the earnings but one major factor is the advertisers. If you truly love gaming, don't think too much of the pay from the Adsense as there are still more options for you. Just keep on playing and make fresh quality content.

6) LIVESTREAMING

If you have a really great internet speed like Fiber and a high-end gaming rig and of course that should be able to comply with the minimum requirements to livestream on Twitch, then you are good to go. The best software that I recommend is Open Broadcaster Software (OBS). It's free to use and it's built to broadcast in several different platforms. It's easy to setup and you don't need to study all the parts as there is a help center in case you need some troubleshooting.

I think the question should be how to monetize broadcasting your video games? The very common and simple one way to earn from is Tips or Donations. Sadly, the players who gets the most tips are the most popular ones. Tips may range from a couple of dollars to thousands. You can earn even more with the Twitch Partner Program. There lots of perks and bonuses that only the chosen broadcasters can use to the fullest. I'm sorry that I can't provide lots of details since I never became a full-time broadcaster.

On a note, livestreaming is a bit same as just uploading pre-recorded videos but there's something more to livestreaming. You need to entertain your viewers by communicating with them. You can see their chat logs and try to answer some questions, take some advice when they try to help you out when you are stuck in a certain part of a video game, say hi to them or just casually talk about anything you want. Just don't get triggered with all the trolls lurking in the chat though. It'll throw you off in your game.

7) BRAND DEALS OR SPONSORSHIPS

For me and also for the dreamers to be a pro-gamer is getting sponsorships. Who doesn't want to have the logo of Razer on their Youtube or Twitch Channel, Gaming Equipment used and seen on your videos, wear Merchandise or Apparel that you can boast to your viewers/family/friends. The challenging part though in getting sponsors is your follower base. How huge is the number of your followers? How many viewers do you get every time you upload videos or broadcast live? Can you maintain a steady growth in your gaming career no matter what obstacles you have to go through? Are you a role model? Can your follower base give sales to the Sponsor? These are just some questions that need to be answered to have a sponsor but it will truly depend on the company. If they like you then they'll provide you with financial help. Just perform your best and your sponsor will do the rest.

8) AFFILIATE MARKETING SALES

You can earn a pretty much good sum with affiliate sales. Ever noticed popular Gamers promoting links and codes to certain websites that sponsors them? You commonly see their referral links in the video description. Aside from the sponsorship you get bonus by getting people to sign-up with your referral link or code and with every product they purchase using that account; you get sales commissions. Earnings vary depending on what product they purchase and how many they ordered. You don't actually need to be sponsored to earn from affiliate sales. Just simply sign-up to a gaming website specially a marketplace that buys or sells games and digital/physical goods. Opt-in to their affiliate program and when you are eligible you are provided with a referral link and other marketing tools such as static banners or animated banners. There are many structures to affiliate marketing and each and every website that offers commissions have their own system.

9) MERCH SALES

The very last I can share to you. This is as far as my gaming career has gotten me. Merchandise Sales. One of the very common ways to monetize your hobby and has been popular since t-shirts have been made. You might be thinking; do you need to buy bulk plain shirts from a store and print the design yourself, sell and deliver them on your own. The answer is NO. As merchandise websites provide you with their printing service, quality and range of different products to choose from. All you need to do is make your design and upload it to a template then submit. They'll also be able to choose possible colors available for the product. Pretty neat! It's really simple and easy. No need to hustle on the streets to make a sale. It's all thanks to technology.

After reading all my 9 commandments on How To Make Money Online Playing Video Games, are you ready to go FULL TIME HARDCORE GAMER? Are you ready to make your passion from hobby to a full time job? If YES, then don't waste your time just watching your gaming idols play video games and enjoying all the money they earned from it. It's time for you to shine! When that time comes you become a rich and famous gamer, I hope you won't forget about me. So start making quality content and play your favorite video game and have fun with your family, friends, and your followers. Things may change on how a gamer can make a living playing video games online so I may have to make a new updated blog in the future. As of now, follow this beginners guide and hope we can be successful gamers. Until next time. Ciao!