Gaming As Career

What are Game Engines?

You might have heard the term before but never really knew what a “Game engine” is exactly. Perhaps the best way to understand is by learning what their purpose is.
A game engine is the architecture that developers use to run the game. Your average game engine provides developers with a way to add things like:

• Physics
• Input
• Rendering
• Scripting
• Collision detection
• Artificial intelligence
• More without the need to program them

Why Are They Important?

Game engines are reusable components developers use to build the framework of the game.
This gives them more time to focus on the unique elements like character models, textures, how objects interact, etc. If everyone made their games from scratch without the help of excellent game engines, games would take longer and it will be more difficult to make such games.

What is Esports?

Esports (also known as electronic sports, e-sports, or eSports) is a form of sport competition using video games. Esports describes the world of competitive, organized video gaming. Competitors from different leagues or teams face off in the same games that are popular with at-home gamers: Fortnite, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, Overwatch and Madden NFL, to name a few. These gamers are watched and followed by millions of fans all over the world, who attend live events or tune in on TV or online. Streaming services like Twitch allow viewers to watch as their favourite gamers play in real time, and this is typically where popular gamers build up their fandoms.

Who watches Esports?

A lot of people. According to a report from Newzoo, a market analytics company, 380 million people worldwide watch esports, including 165 million esports enthusiasts (a term that describes frequent viewers, as opposed to occasional viewers). The bulk of these enthusiasts watch from North America, China and South Korea. According to research from Newzoo, 588 major esports events were held in 2017.

Where's the money in eSports?

With plenty of cash flowing into the picture, how do eSports teams and players earn money?

Cash prizes:- There is no shortage of prize money available to eSports gaming participants, with single-game cash earnings up to $200,000. Some high-level competitions, like Dota 2 International, earns $10 million to the competition's winning team.

Team salaries:- Esports offers regular salaries to team participants, with average salaries in the $3,000-to-$5,000 monthly in gaming hotbeds like China and the U.S. Top echelon players can earn much more, up to $15,000 for a single competition plus bonuses. Some teams even offer their players perks like health insurance and retirement plans.

Sponsorship money:- With major global brands in the picture, eSports is raking in the sponsorship cash. Some of that money goes into competition and cash prizes, and some go directly to team ownership, as is the case with Audi and its sponsorship of Astralis Counter Strike franchise. Sponsors comprise $456 million of the overall $1.1 billion in eSports revenues this year, Newzoo reports.

Merchandising and tickets:- At $103 million in revenues in 2019, merchandising and tickets are among the top tier leaders in eSports payouts. That said, merchandising usually follows the ascension of a sport, as it historically has on the PGA tour, in the NFL and NBA, and in other popular professional sports leagues. Expect both merchandising and ticket revenues to climb as gaming continues to flourish on a global stage.

What is Live Streaming?

In simple terms, Live streaming is an activity where people record themselves online while others watch them. The practice became popular in the mid-2010s on sites dedicated only for this purpose. Professional streamers often combine high-level play and entertaining commentary, and earn income from sponsors, subscriptions, and donations. It's a real career now and not a temporary stop for people before they “get an actual job?”. Live streaming games online has changed the gaming industry, and made it is possible to choose streaming as a lifelong vocation and earn over 6 lakhs a year.

When should I start thinking about a career as a streamer?

Many people think that being a professional streamer is a piece of cake but they need to understand that only a person who is interactive with his/her viewers, and can play for hours while entertaining the community along the way, can become a professional streamer. Making money and building a career are not the same thing. In reality, making money is only one aspect of building a career, especially as a streamer. Just remember these points if you want to make it big in the industry.

• Be entertaining
• Be engaging
• Do it for fun and not money