Has your mom ever berated you for playing too much PUBG? Or your dad has thrown out your PS4 because you spent your entire day glued to the screen? If your family has ever held an intervention for you and asked you to focus your efforts on your engineering career instead of playing 'silly' video games, then this extensive guide is for you. The next time they needle you, tell them about Tyler “Ninja” Blevins who made about $500,000 per month last year through Twitch Premium fees, brand endorsements, sponsors, and advertisements. Then there’s Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan, a young gamer in his teens, who has bagged $3.59 million in his pro-gaming career.(Pocket-Lint)

The video game industry, which includes all related sectors from design and development to consumption and competitions, is worth $115.8 billion today. It is burgeoning at a rapid pace, supported by over 2.5 billion gaming enthusiasts worldwide.(Newzoo)

If you’re keen to learn more about gaming career paths and the opportunities that it proffers, then you are going to love this article. It contains detailed accounts of all the different gaming career opportunities including professional gaming, live streaming, video game design, game developer, and game tester.

So, dive right in!

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IN THE GAMING INDUSTRY 

The video gaming industry is projected to reach a massive $300 billion valuation in 2023. The boom in the past decade has opened up several new job opportunities for professional gamers. So, if you've finally decided to turn your gaming skills into a lucrative income, here's a rundown of the different sectors of this industry. The industry can be broadly divided into four verticals, each one requiring a distinct set of skills. 

These are:

1. Game Development
2. Professional Gamer
3. Game Critic/ Journalist
4. Live Streaming

On one hand, game development involves the conceptualization and creation of video games. This vertical has ballooned into an $800 million dollar industry in India(CNBC). Gaming stalwarts such as Rockstar, Ubisoft, and Electronic Art have established head offices in major cities of India and are recruiting aggressively. On the other side of the spectrum are the gamers or individuals who spend hours playing video games. Live streaming and video game journalism are two other nascent verticals that have developed as off-shoots of the gaming industry. 

1. Game Development - The beloved video game that you spend hours playing went through several months of development before being released to the public. Each aspect, right from the background noises to narration to storytelling, was perfected by professionals with several years’ worth of experience. 

With over 275 indie game development studios spread across India today, you'd be surprised to know that there was no scope in this industry up until a decade ago. The advent of 4G and 5G, deeper technological penetration, and a growing breed of young gamers have created a minefield of opportunities. Here are the most exciting jobs in this vertical. 

a.) Game Designer - Just like an architect lays down the foundational plans of a building; game designers are responsible for defining the various elements of a game - all the way from rules and settings to story flow and characters. 

They work in conjunction with programmers and animators to bring their vision to reality. 

Moreover, they also conduct market research to understand the psyche of the audience to make sure that the game is well received upon launching.

You'll need a B.Tech degree in either Computer Science or Computer Engineering to get a foothold in this role. Some students also choose to study game design before taking up a job. 

b.) Narrative Designer - If you're good at storytelling, then this job is the perfect choice for you. A narrative designer's role is to give substance to the story. 

Their work is the reason you are so engrossed while playing the game. It's their job to write down the transformation arc of each character which also includes dialogue delivery. 

If this job entices you, then a degree in Communication or English Literature will allow you to pursue this role. Certifications in scriptwriting are an added bonus. 

c.) Animators and Visual Artists - If you've ever fallen head over heels in love with a game due to its realism, then these are the guys you should thank. 

Animators work hard to bring the characters to life using different tools related to 3D modeling, graphic design, and animation. 

This career path requires candidates with a powerful imagination and a knack for creative thinking. If you think you're a perfect fit, then a Bachelor's degree animation or graphic design along with sound knowledge of all the tools will help you get a good job. 

d.) Audio Engineer - Will a world without any sounds ever seem real? Every time you shoot a bullet in CS:GO, the noise in the background is what makes it lifelike. That's the contribution of the sound and audio engineers. 

This role is no piece of cake. Apart from a deep understanding of sound mixing techniques, you also need to be adept at creating ambient and background sounds to hold on to the users' attention. 

A B.Tech degree in sound engineering or audiography will take you a long way in this role. 

e.) Programmers - No game would ever see the light of day if it wasn't for these skilled guys. They form the core of the game development industry. They are amongst the highest-paid software engineers and coders who bring each game to life. 

Programmers write the background code upon which the game functions. They have to work in sync with the artists and engineers while making sure the game has no flaws or bugs. 

If your dream is to bring your creative vision to life using code then a B.Tech degree in computer science is the way to go. An additional certificate in game development will also add weight to your resume. 

f.) Game Tester - How many hours do you spend glued to your TV screen with a console in your hands? If your answer is more than 8 hours, then why not try your hand at becoming a game tester? 

Mind you, the job is not as easy as it sounds. Game testers spend hours every day playing video games and analyzing possible flaws. It's their job to replay the same level again and again until perfection is achieved. While playing, they take down notes on bugs and quality issues that need to be corrected. 

Getting a B.Tech degree can be your first step in this direction. Following it up with an 'ISTQB Certified Tester' certification from the ITB can help you land better-paying jobs. 

g.) Game producer - Game producers usually end up taking responsibility for entire projects. They're the one ones who run around gathering a team and making sure that the project's vision gets executed. 

A game producer need not be an expert in a specific field of video game development. But they do need to have ample experience to help them understand each role. 

If you're looking to lead a video game project then you should consider being the game producer. A B.Tech degree in Computer Science followed by a management degree can help you land a job in this role. A couple of gaming certifications will go a long way in cementing your role. 

h.) Game Level Designer - If you're thinking critically as you play your favourite game for hours, then you can try and choose this career option. 

A game level designer functions exactly as billed - they design game levels or maps. Using editing software, designers create detailed layouts and locales for the characters to play in. This is a critical aspect of the game and requires attention to tiny details.

A course in graphic design, art, or animation will help you understand the nuances of this job. 

2. Professional Gamer - Dew Arena hosts an Esports league for DOTA 2 and CS:GO every year in Gurugram. In 2017, the prize money was a whopping Rs. 20 lakh! It might seem hard to believe but worldwide circuits host hundreds of professional gamers in arenas full of adoring fans every year. These contests are streamed live on TV, sponsored by some of the biggest global brands and have prize pools running into the millions. 

Countries such as the USA, South Korea, and Japan consider gamers at the same level as athletes and sportspersons, offering them college scholarships, sponsorships, and more. 

The most common genres of competitive gaming are :

• MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) 
• Online Card Games such as Poker and Blackjack 
• FPS (First Person Shooter) 
• DCCG (Digital Collectible Card Games) 
• Battle Royal Games
• RTS (Real-Time Strategy) 

Sahil Arora, an Indian DOTA 2 player took the international circuit by storm by ranking 7th in last year's competition. His victories have netted him a cool $500,000. Then there's Team Newbee who raked in $5 million after winning just one competition - the International DOTA 2 tournament by Valve. 

So, if you're serious about turning your hours of online gaming into a career, you'll need the following skills. 

a.) Practice, Practice, Practice - This point can't be stressed enough. Professional gamers hone their craft over several years by practicing for 8-12 hours a day. Winning competitions requires a lot of hard work and constant upgrading of skills. 

One way to get better at playing is by following the top gamers on Twitch or YouTube and learning from them. 

b.) Focus - Esports is not for the feeble-minded. Hours of unwavering attention is a must to cement your standings in the national or international circuits. 

Professional gamers block out every distraction and tune out the entire world while playing their games. 

c.) Hand-Eye Coordination and Reflexes - Most games aren't predictable which means split-second decisions can make or break the game. 

To get the best out of those moments, you require excellent coordination between your hands and eyes. Moreover, a reflex system that is built to play without faltering can help you win close games in clutch moments. 

d.) Comprehensive Knowledge - You can't just pick up a game and expect to win straight away. To win big time, you need to map out the entire virtual world in your head while creating strategies on the trot. 

Some players have gone on record to say that video gaming is like playing chess on a much grander albeit virtual scale. 

Unless you develop a deeper understanding of the game, you'll find it difficult to win at all. 

Once you've developed enough expertise in your chosen game, it's time to join a team or compete individually in national and international circuits. Just to give you a brief idea, here are the top 5 gaming networks in India. 

• ESL Gaming Network - ESL conducts the ESL India Premiership, the top tournament for games such as DOTA 2, League of Legends, and Mortal Kombat, every year. The prize money can go up to Rs. 10 lakh for the top positions. 
• NGS Championships - Neon Gaming Studio is one of India's top-rated game studios which organizes a national level tournament every year for NFS, PUBG, and FIFA 18.
• PUBG Mobile India - The biggest stage for all PUBG lovers, this tournament boasts of mammoth cash prizes, reaching a massive Rs. 50 lakh for the winning teams. 
• U Cypher - U Cypher is a subsidiary of U Sports, a company that deals with myriad national level sports competitions. U Cypher primarily focuses on Esports such as Tekken 7 and CS:GO. 
• Ultimate Battle - India's leading online platform for Esports, Ultimate Battle organizes multiplayer console, mobile, and PC gaming tournaments for PUBG, DOTA 2, FIFA 20, and Call of Duty. 

3. Game Critic / Journalist - If you're looking to combine the crafts of writing and gaming, then you might fall in love with the job of a game critic. Game critics spend hours playing video games, critically analyzing each aspect. It's their job to give a fair review for avid gamers worldwide to read. No gamer worth his salt would ever pick up a new game without first going through the reviews. 

Most game critics are either retired professional gamers or developers who chose to stick around in the industry. This role requires you to have several years of gaming experience, without which your words might ring hollow. 

If you want to pursue this line, a BA degree in Journalism or Communication might do the trick. You can also opt for gaming diplomas to back up your CV. But most of all, you require a primordial, everlasting love for gaming. 

4. Live Streaming - Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, a Swedish born YouTube streamer, rose to fame in 2013 when he became the most subscribed YouTuber of all time. Better known by his alias, PewDiePie, he has amassed a net worth of over $15 million through live streaming his video gaming exploits alone(Business Insider). Much like Ninja, Felix is the epitome of success as a professional gamer. 

Live streaming essentially refers to broadcasting your video games online to a vast audience on specialized platforms such as Twitch, Mixer, and YouTube. Most successful live streamers use witty banter, comic satire, and a flashy play style to keep their viewers hooked. 

While becoming a live streamer doesn't require any educational backgrounds, it does help to be outgoing and entertaining. You'll need to deliver regular content, build communities, and handle media to create a successful career. 

In conclusion, playing video games can turn into a lucrative career path if the right steps are taken. This industry is growing rapidly and will create thousands of new jobs in the coming years. So, grab your console and get to playing your favorite games!