Making money from computer games

People have different definitions of happiness. Some see happiness in peace and ease of spirit, some believe happiness should be sought in spirituality or love, and some do not consider it possible without money and material comfort. Besides these, one definition of happiness can be that a person makes money from their pastime and interest. That is, someone who not only likes their work, but whose work is exactly their pastime. This is a kind of happiness that gamers are familiar with through making money from computer games. People who sit on large, special chairs so that hours of sitting do not displace their spine. They settle in rooms with colorful decor, put a headset on their head, and after that, they only play. This is only one of the methods of making money from online and computer games. In the computer game industry one can make money not only from producing games, but also from consuming them.

A major revolution in ways of making money from games without initial capital

Making money from online computer games is not limited to activity on online video platforms and has a longer history than their spread. But the emergence and spread of these platforms truly marked a revolution in methods of making money from games. The growth of internet infrastructure and the possibility of uploading long, high-quality videos turned user-driven online video platforms into the most popular social networks. YouTube today is not only the most used video platform but the most popular social network in the entire world. At the same time as the internet has grown, computer and mobile game technology has also advanced, and games become more appealing, more visual, more cinematic and more popular day by day. To the point that not only playing them, but watching another player experience them, also became appealing for video game enthusiasts.

This chart shows viewers of videos related to video games across the world. Based on this chart, the global number of viewers of this content from 2016 to 2020 almost doubled and over 4 years experienced 100 percent growth. Another surprising fact is that by 2020, more than one billion people in the world had been viewers of gaming videos.

Ways of making money through games

Video methods are the most common ways of making money by playing games. Producing video content on the subject of computer games is divided into two categories. One part relates to making money from streaming, which is either live or uploaded offline. The other part relates to videos with various content on the subject of games, such as recounting the stories of games, introducing and reviewing them, tutorials, and producing miscellaneous and entertaining content. An important advantage of video methods is that they are less troublesome and that they earn income in dollars. But despite this important advantage, making money from computer games is not limited to producing video. Methods such as testing games, taking part in competitions, and journalism and media activity in this field can also be an answer to the question of how to make money from playing games. Listening to podcasts is also an activity that is becoming more popular every day. The podcast, too, is a platform through which one can connect with fans of mobile and computer games.

Making money from games through streaming and video content

As we said, what made making money through online games far more serious than in the past was the possibility of streaming. The most important game streaming platform is Twitch. Methods of making money from Twitch are as follows: the platforms themselves, such as Twitch and YouTube, after a channel has grown a little, pay the channel owner. Also, creators, to make money from YouTube, can personally receive advertising and be paid. As a third way of making money from YouTube without making videos, creators can benefit from their audiences' voluntary contributions, or in the familiar phrase, donate.

In the chart above we see that the volume of viewing of game stream content worldwide has more than doubled over two years. In the first quarter of 2021 alone, nearly 9 billion hours of game streams were watched. Making money from streaming is a new way of earning that has transformed the lives of many young people and teenagers who until then were said only to waste their time with video games. But besides this, streaming has also had a large effect on game makers. They know that their works are watched as much as they are played, and this awareness affects game production. It must be stressed that making money from computer and mobile games does not bring any particular skill or experiential gain for teenagers and young people.

Based on the chart above, besides the number of viewers of gaming video content, revenue from this field also had an upward trend from 2016 to 2020 and grew by more than 100 percent. In 2020, global revenue from making videos related to computer games was estimated at more than 9 billion dollars.

Making money from streaming

Through various platforms one can share one's playing online with others, or stream. The most popular platforms for this activity are Twitch, YouTube Gaming and Facebook Gaming. Even so, the Twitch and YouTube platforms, by a large margin from other platforms, are more popular for game streaming. Twitch is at the top of streaming platforms. A platform owned by Amazon whose feature is playing video online along with the possibility of online chat among viewers alongside the video. In the second quarter of 2021, more than 6 billion and 500 million hours of video were watched on Twitch worldwide. For professional game streamers, Twitch is a good place to make money from computer games.

From the chart above we find that the number of hours of video watched on Twitch, until before the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, had a steady trend. But with the outbreak of COVID-19 a large jump occurred in this statistic. To the point that in 2021 this figure reached its peak. After COVID conditions ended, the statistic of hours watched on Twitch lost its jump, but it never approaches the figure from before the pandemic. The most important content uploaded on Twitch is game streaming. Of course, the most popular category on Twitch at present is "Just Chatting".

Making money from games on YouTube

Although Twitch is the most popular game streaming platform, YouTube, in the next rank, is also a suitable place for game streamers to gather. YouTube has particular components for paying income, such as 4000 hours of video uploaded in one year and 1000 subscribers. The chart below proves that viewing of content related to computer games on this platform has had a continually upward trend. The occurrence of COVID-19 takes the statistic of hours of viewing this content above one billion hours, and after COVID-19 YouTube never loses this statistic.

 

Making money from Facebook with computer games

Years have passed since Facebook was founded. In this time the parent company of this platform has changed its name from Facebook to Meta and has bought large platforms such as Instagram and WhatsApp. Even so, the Facebook platform still ranks first among all platforms and social networks in terms of monthly active users. Although in terms of number of users and views, YouTube is ahead. The number of Facebook's monthly active users is something around three billion people. Essentially any platform that has the possibility of playing video online or offline and also has many users is a good option for making money from streaming. Just as Instagram, too, with its IGTV feature, provided a platform for streaming. Facebook Gaming, just like YouTube Gaming, had a large jump in viewing volume in the third and fourth quarters of 2020. But after COVID-19 subsided, this platform, unlike YouTube, had a sharp drop and almost returned to its pre-COVID record. The chart below relates to the number of hours of viewing of Facebook's game service worldwide from the first quarter of 2019 to the third quarter of 2022.

Computer and video game competitions in Iran and the world

Game companies, to fix bugs that are usually numerous in the early versions of games, need gamers who are willing to test the game. Also, around the world, competitions and tournaments centered on computer games are held. For example one can point to the FIFA World Cup, the Fortnite World Cup, the Call of Duty World League and the League of Legends World Championship. Iranian gamers, too, have opportunities for matches and competition. It was in Bahman (January–February) 1401 (2022/23) that the Milad Tower 1401 (2022/23) computer game competitions were held. Gamers who are interested in writing and media work can try writing for websites and magazines. They can write reviews of mobile and online games, produce news, and explore corners of the video game world.

Making money from blockchain and metaverse games

A perhaps less professional way of making money with games is "play to earn" games. These games pay the player assets, NFTs and cryptocurrencies that can be converted into cash. Here we have discussed making money from streaming, which is more common and more lucrative. Even so, streaming and producing video content for games is not necessarily easy work. This work needs a unique, theatrical personality with an appealing manner of speaking who can establish a good connection with audiences.

Good decor, fast internet and a suitable camera are all among the requirements of producing content on Twitch and YouTube. Although we said above that streamers make money from their pastime, using playing as a way to make money naturally changes the pure experience of playing and reduces its pleasure. The stresses arising from this making money from computer and mobile games, and fame on social networks, can make a professional gamer gradually come to hate playing.

Becoming well known on these networks requires a particular patience and stubbornness. Many judge you and, with comments and dislikes, send a flood of negative messages your way, which can be a terrifying experience. In general, to become a successful game streamer it is not enough only to be a good player; one must also have a personality that can cope with the ups and downs of the media.

Summing up

Besides producing and developing the game industry, there are various methods for making money from games. Among these one can point to testing new games, taking part in computer game competitions, media activity in this field, and playing games that offer the possibility of making money. But the new and optimal method of making money from computer games is making videos on the subject of games or streaming games. In this way, through advertising, using the fees paid by platforms, and using audience support, making money from Android and computer games can be realized. This work requires learning communication skills, an innate interest, suitable hardware and infrastructure, and a great deal of patience. For game streaming, the Twitch platform is the best choice and is favored by streamers. In the next rank one can also use YouTube and Facebook for streaming or uploading video.