It seems like the perfect time to be making money online – at least, that’s what the news headlines would have you believe. Interested in kicking off a side-hustle? Wanting to make extra money? Why not try something no other online entrepreneur has successfully done before? That’s right – become a stock marketer and learn to “game the system”.
The Online Market For Video Games Is Massive
It’s well documented how quickly the video game market has shifted online. From a relatively small slice of the total market share in the mid-2000s to over half today, the market for video games has shifted to the digital arena.
Even more significantly, the market for PC and Console video games has shifted to mobile devices. While the PC and Console markets have seen gradual declines in share, mobile gaming has exploded, accounting for over 80% of all game-related revenue.
Thanks to this seismic shift and the advent of blockchain technology, gaming has become highly lucrative. Whether you’re interested in joining the fintech revolution and leveraging the popularity of video games to earn yourself some extra cash or just want to find a way to make a few extra bucks from home, there are now numerous opportunities to monetize your gaming passion.
GTA 5: The Ultimate Video Game That All Marketers Should Play
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you know exactly what I’m talking about. Released in 2017, Grand Theft Auto 5 is an action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. Set in the fictional city of Los Angeles, the game follows a character named Franklin who seeks to make his mark on the world by any means necessary. A bit of a no-nonsense guy, he’s got his own unique brand of mayhem that leaves a lot of destruction in his wake. As the self-proclaimed “King of Vice,” it’s clear that Franklin is not your average criminal.
In the latest installment of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, gamers can explore a large open world and make their way to various destinations using an array of vehicles, from boats to planes. As with all Rockstar games, GTA 5 is highly immersive and offers players a variety of options for entertainment. Additionally, since the game is set in the present day, it allows marketers to gain a better understanding of their audience’s behavior while playing through the game. A unique aspect of the game is the ability for players to choose their gender and sexual orientation – something that wasn’t previously possible in a video game environment.
Ready To Monetize Your LOV Gaming?
If none of that piqued your interest, maybe the idea of making money online with games still isn’t for you. That’s perfectly fine, but before you decide that this is somehow not for you, let’s explore some of the unique opportunities that now exist for gamers who want to make money online.
The first and most obvious way to do this is to become a brand ambassador for a company that makes money off of online advertisements. There are dozens of these companies that specialize in placing these advertisements on gaming websites – some of which will even pay you to be a brand ambassador. All you have to do is visit their websites and earn a few dollars per day.
Another option is to become a livestreamer of some sort. Thanks to a collaboration between Twitch and UStream, anyone with a Twitch account can now become a livestreamer, and get paid to do so. All you need is a microphone and a webcam to get started – and the ability to hold an interesting conversation with your viewers. The great thing about livestreaming is that you can do it from anywhere in the world, as long as you have a strong enough WiFi signal to keep the video quality high. As a livestreamer, you’ll need to be careful not to go overboard with the commentary since the last thing you want to do is ruin your streaming session by making too many jokes or engaging in a long conversation with your audience. The main thing is to simply keep the conversation going and interesting. This will make your viewers stay a little longer, which in turn, will make you earn more money.
Speaking of ruining streaming sessions, one of the biggest problems for new Twitch creators is getting views. How do I get views on my Twitch stream? Easy – talk about my gameplay while actually playing the game. The more you engage with your audience, the more likely they are to support your content. Additionally, make sure that you upload a variety of content – from gameplay to in-depth analysis to funny anecdotes about game development. The more you put out, the more you’ll get back. Finally, don’t be afraid to reach out to relevant influencers to help promote your content.
Making Money With Video Games – A Sophisticated Yet Simplistic Strategy
Now that you’re interested in making money with video games, I’d like to share a relatively simple yet extremely effective strategy for doing so. First, identify the games that you play and enjoy, and have some knowledge of. This will become your “library” of games – the collection of titles that you’ll systematically analyze when seeking to profit from gaming. In the world of affiliate marketing, this is known as “vetting.”
When choosing games to vet, make sure that you focus on both the PC and Console markets. While mobile games have taken over the market, this is mostly because a lot of money can be made off of advertising on mobile devices. And what is advertising? Basically, placing ads on websites and apps to generate revenue. Thus, a lot of the big-name games that are available on mobile devices are incredibly popular due to the high revenue that can be made from advertising on these platforms.
The next step is to pick your profit goal. Do you want to try and make a small profit off of your gaming activity? Or do you want to go the extra mile and make a lot of money from your gaming? If the later, then there are a number of ways that you can do this. You can either set up a SaaS (Software as a Service) business around gaming, where you’ll host other people’s games on your servers and earn a commission from each sale, or you can try and become a game publisher – or both!
Get Paid To Test New Games
One of the best things about being a games tester is getting to try out unreleased games before the public. If you’re lucky enough to get selected for a beta test, you’ll get to play the game before anyone else, which is usually a fun experience. However, it also means that the game is still in development and might have some rough edges. Nevertheless, being a beta tester for a huge game can also be a lucrative proposition. For instance, when the beta testing period for Borderlands 3 ended, there were actually a number of people who made a living solely off of testing that game. The great thing about this opportunity is that you don’t need to have any prior experience to get started – you just need to have a reliable WiFi connection, a microphone, and a computer/laptop to run the game on.
Make Money With YouTube
If livestreaming doesn’t float your boat, maybe YouTube is the next best thing. Similar to Twitch, YouTube creators can make money off of advertising on their platform. However, rather than having to worry about attracting views, you’ll need to focus more on gaining subscribers. Just like with livestreamers, the key to making money on YouTube is to engage with your audience, provide useful information and content, and encourage them to subscribe to your channel. Additionally, you can use the platform to upload content related to your gaming experience – such as gameplay video clips or tips and tricks for improving your gaming experience. Just keep in mind that ads will appear on your YouTube channel, so be careful what you say and do.
Monetizing Your Passion
If none of the above methods seem like a good fit, maybe you should consider creating and selling your own games. There are plenty of platforms like Steam that allow anybody with a computer or mobile device to easily create and publish their own games, and the revenue shared from game sales is usually enough to support a living doing anything else. Additionally, many AAA (Advanced, Advanced Technology) games are also available on mobile devices, so if mobile gaming is your thing, this is certainly a route to take. Just remember that creating games is an incredibly involved process, and it can be very difficult to get them done on time and polished enough to be truly satisfying.