The millennial Indian male was the first generation that saw video games as an essential part of their childhood. From a technological point of view, this was the generation that saw the evolution from a black-and-white poor graphics interface to something that is beyond lifelike. Initially, this began as a hobby for most people.
Now, what if we come up with a way to convert the hobby into a full-time profession? This is exactly what happened in the western world and the nation is now following suit. In the metros, a growing portion of the population is now considering taking this up as a full-time profession.
However, in the smaller towns and cities, not many people are familiar with the concept of this as a full-time profession. So, this article aims to enlighten people about the scope of a career as a full-time professional gamer and the monetary compensation associated with the same. Read on to know more.
• Career Type
The main job role of a professional gamer is to participate in competitions. They can do so either as a single participant or as a part of a team. The teams usually comprise of 3 to 4 members who represent an organisation in competitions and tournaments. Their main aim is to win money there.
The prize money associated with the different competitions is how the professional gamers earn their bread and butter. With the growing popularity of video games and the increasing importance of digital media in our lives, people are now realising the immense competition in this field. Thus, talented people in this field are recognised with a fulfilling career.
• Educational Qualifications
India is a country that is obsessed with marks and other formal educational qualifications. Only a child who is good at academics is thought to be capable of having a successful career. However, the fact is that in order to pursue a successful career, aptitude is much more important.
That is why the profession of gaming tries to challenge the norms of the Indian society. Here there are no prerequisite academic qualifications required. In fact, there is absolutely no need for any job-specific vocational training either.
• Skill Set
With video gaming being recognised as a full-time career, it is being given the same status as that of any other sport. Thus, in order to succeed here, one needs the same amount of perseverance and practise. They should be able to remain calm in the most challenging of situations.
Having dealt with the mental requirements of this profession, let us now talk about the bodily prerequisites. One needs to have very good eye-hand coordination. Although this can be improved with practise, this is basically a natural bodily ability and not everyone is gifted with the same.
Other than that, having good reflexes and a fast reaction time will give you an edge over other competitors in the market. This is a place where you will have to rely a lot on your gut feeling to tell you about the best course of action.
• Tournaments
International tournaments have varied prize tags associated with them. The International Dota2 tournament of 2017 carried a cash prize of USD $24,787,916 for a single game. Given the figures, you can understand that if you are good in this field, this is a place where you can literally mint money.
Similar tournaments are organised for Fifa and other games throughout the year (both at the national as well as the international level). In the coming years, there are talks of including the same as a sport in the Olympics.
• Sponsorship
Most of the professional gamers rely on sponsorships to sustain themselves. In the recent years, there has been a rapidly growing popularity of professional gaming. This year, ESL India has announced a 1 crore prize for their premiership event. COBC Gaming masters have announced a similar prize pool as well.
What this means is that the Indian subcontinent is finally making a mark in the global gaming scene. With the increasing size of the player base in the country, this is indeed a welcome change. These sponsorship programs will encourage the formation of gaming communities in the country and in turn pave the path for a new era of professional gaming in the country.
• Career Options
As a gamer, a person may choose to specialise in a particular game or have mastery over multiple games at the same time. Other than mere gaming, there are a host of career options that are available for professional gamers. These include game chasers, event organisers, team managers and gaming consultants.
Fresher candidates who start off their careers as professional gamers can rise to these heights of achievement in the course of time after having obtained the due experience. Job opportunities in each of these fields are available both in India as well as in the western world.
• Challenges
Other than the mental and physical challenges of the game, there is a lot more to it. One needs to be prepared to battle the wrath of the usual societal practises and convince their immediate family members that a career in this field will be worth the effort.
To be able to do this well, one needs to have faith in their abilities and they must be in a position to take responsibility for their words and actions. It is advisable that you take to this profession only if you have the mental willpower to take up all of this.