There are other video hosting platforms – Rumble, D.Tube, Vimeo. But none of them even come close to YouTube's stats.
You can share your gaming knowledge and skills on a video blog and earn money from it. Making money playing on PC this can be a selection of interesting moments in games, a news blog, new product reviews, the history of the series, or just a let's play, that is, a record of the passage of the game or part of it with blogger comments, visual effects, etc. It's best to start with one type of content and add new ones gradually.
To keep viewers interested, bloggers use different techniques. Someone doesn't hide their face behind a mask like JesusAVGN. Someone, on the contrary, creates a recognizable charismatic image of a tough guy from the 80s with the help of glasses, wig and mustache, like Guy Dr. DisRespect Baym.
In addition to a good computer, camera and high-quality microphone, you will need special programs for editing videos. For example, OBS or UVScreenCamera are used for recording raw video material and ShotCut, OpenShot, DaVinci are used for final editing. For audio processing – Audacity. All this software has free basic versions. And with the receipt of the first revenue from the content, you can switch to its paid and more functional versions.
There are several ways to make money from gaming video content.
Monetization through AdSense. The easiest way is to officially monetize your video through the YouTube AdSense Partner Program. It automatically adds advertising content to the beginning or end of the video. The channel and the videos contained therein must comply with the site's rules, have more than 1,000 subscribers, and videos that have been published in the public domain in the last 12 months must have more than 4,000 hours of viewing.
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This is what an AdSense ad on YouTube looks like before watching a preview of a new Lineage 2M game. Source
If all requirements are met, you can apply to participate in the affiliate program. If approved, there are several passive income opportunities from channel activity:
- Advertising – is selected and displayed by AdSense. Views are paid depending on audience and country. Typically from US$ 0.25 to US$ 15 per 1,000 impressions. In addition, an additional payment for each click that leads to the site – this cost per click is determined by the advertiser itself.
- Sponsorship is essentially a monthly subscription to your channel. The exchange viewer can receive early access to videos, exclusive broadcasts, as well as badges and chat emoticons.
- Revenue from selling channel products – a link to the products is displayed to the viewer next to the preview window.
- YouTube Premium View revenue is a special subscription that disables video ads for the user. YouTube Premium subscription revenue is based on the time you watch the video.
- Revenue from regular views – paid after the video has been viewed by over 1 million users. The price of 1 million views is US$ 450-500.
There are additional requirements to access each of these features. And you need to understand that an affiliate program means better attention to the content and requirements for it. And you can withdraw money once you have accumulated at least $100.
Collaboration with partner media networks YouTube. They are certified companies that are intermediaries between the blogger and YouTube and take the advertising side of the issue. Media networks are a good analogue of AdSense. They help manage the channel, advise on promotions, help resolve issues, find advertisers for a percentage of the profits, and offer more options for withdrawing money. The media network is interested in the success of the channels, so it offers 24/7 support through online chats. Media network advertising has its own conditions and costs more – from 3 to 5 dollars per 1,000 views. Typically, it is embedded directly into the content – for example, the blogger himself talks about a specific product, sits in a chair from a specific manufacturer, or wears branded clothes.
Advertising integration. The best revenue comes from direct advertising integration contracts with advertisers. In the Russian-language segment of YouTube, an unofficial advertising cost has already been formed:
- from 100 thousand subscribers – 15-50 dollars;
- from 200 thousand – up to 70 dollars;
- from 300 thousand – 150-250 dollars;
- from 500 thousand – 300-500 dollars;
- more than 500 thousand — contracts are concluded at individual prices.
Even in the world of computer games, you can go beyond entertainment and make it a real sport. In Russia, for success in eSports, you can receive sports categories, including masters of the sport. Becoming a professional or major league player requires a lot of playing time, a desire to get serious about the industry, participation in gaming tournaments, and perseverance. The level of earnings here depends on the professional results.
How to learn about competitions and tournaments. This information is available on special forums like HLTV. There is a tournament schedule that will cater for intermediate and higher level players. Among them are regional LAN tournaments – when participants play offline, meaning everyone is physically in the same room. But there are also online competitions.
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All tournaments have different conditions. Anyone can participate anywhere – you only need to pay a fee for that, but participation in big tournaments is usually just by ranking.
What games are competitive
| game type | titles |
|---|---|
| Team-based first-person shooter games | Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Valorant, Call of Duty, Overwatch, Rainbow Six: Siege |
| Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) | Dota 2, League of Legends |
| battle royale | Call of Duty: Warzone, PUBG, Fortnite, Apex Legends |
| collectible card games | Hearthstone, Magic: The Gathering Arena, Gwent |
| real-time strategy | Starcraft II, Age of Empires |
| Sports and racing simulators | Gran Turismo, Project CARS, FIFA, Rocket League |
| Various mobile games | Clash of Clans, Clash Royale. PUBG mobile, Free Fire |
They all differ in the size of the prize fund, in the ranking of participating teams, in the number of spectators, in the number of championships. The top three are Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, Dota 2. Two of them were won by CIS teams in 2022.
| Игра | team name | cash prize |
|---|---|---|
| Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Born to win | US$ 1 million |
| dota 2 | team spirit | US$ 18 million |
How to become a sportsman. In eSports teams, by analogy with regular sports, they stay if you are noticed by the managers or players of those teams. Some games, like League of Legends, have built-in rankings. Leaders of this classification have every chance to join the team.
But, for example, in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive there is another way. Here you need to pass ranking competitions on international platforms, for example on Faceit, Esea, ECL, – are suitable for English speaking participants. Or CIS – for Russian-speaking CIS participants. The ultimate task of a beginner sportsman is to enter the FPL, this is the highest league for professional players.
If the team is already assembled, it is easier to enter competitions and there are more chances to win prizes. The team usually has 2-3 players of the same level of play.
How much do athletes earn? Your winnings consist of several points:
- Wage. Everything is like in football. Each club has a team or even several that play and act. The club promotes and promotes them. There are esports superstars on the teams – they are paid US$ 35,000 a month, but they are very few. Top players earn $ 10,000-15,000 per month, top league players $ 2,000-5,000 per month. To get into the big leagues, you need a lot of experience and a high ranking. Lower level youth clubs pay less, from US$ 500 to US$ 1,000.
- Tournament cash prizes. In major tournaments, cash funds run into millions, for example The International 10 for Dota 2 in 2022 totaled US $ 40 million, 18 million of which was taken by the winners, and the rest of the prize pool was split into second and third places. . Small tournament wins provide US$ 500 to US$ 2,000 in prize money for a team. Beginner competitions are usually limited to gifts in the form of equipment, headphones, etc.
- Advertising and sponsors. For advertising, sponsors use game arenas – they are online and offline platforms for holding tournaments. Esportsmen receive a percentage of advertising. Bonuses are usually paid trips to tournaments, resort vacations, sponsor goods or bonuses for a successful game.
- Additional income. Many well-known professional players monetize their fame on streams, YouTube channels and social media. They can write guides to pass games and conduct training.
Any of the above ways to make money from games will take a lot of time and effort. Somewhere more, somewhere less, but any one of them can turn the game of entertainment into a side job.