Unless you stumbled upon the wrong URL by accident, there’s a fair chance you’re on this site because you have a deep passion for all things related to video games (or maybe because you hate them too). Whether it’s carjacking in GTA V, firing a blue shell in Mario Kart 8, or battling the Covenant as the one-man-army that is the Master Chief in Halo 5, you could spend hours on end playing all types of video games. But sometimes… that’s simply not enough.
As soon as you put down the controller, you might get a sense that you’d like to use this love of gaming for different things, that you could be channeling this passion into other areas. Well, turns out you can. For those who could live and breathe video games, but don’t necessarily want to sit in front of the TV or computer 24/7, here are some ways you can actually level up and take your love of gaming to new stages.
Create gaming-related videos for YouTube
PewDiePie isn’t the only famous personality who makes a (very good) living via video gaming content on YouTube. There’s also Smosh, Vegetta777, ihascupquake and a lot more. Every one of them is unique in their own way, but who will be the next big YouTube star to make video game-related content? Maybe you. If you’ve got a neat idea plus the means to record and upload videos (most laptops these days have good webcams), then it can’t hurt to try. Even videos like Honest Game Trailers make fun of video games! There is a lot of content to be made.
Cosplay at gaming conventions and on Instagram
If you’ve ever been to E3 or Comic-Con, then you’ll know full well how big cosplaying has become. This isn’t just fancy dress for some people, this is a lifestyle. Being able to literally embody your favorite video game characters takes a bit of time and a lot of skill, but it’s worth it if only to become part of the thriving cosplay scene across the world. Many people take up cosplay just for fun, but a select few can actually make a profession out of it. Jessica Nigiri is one such cosplayer who works at many different conventions, but also has a flourishing YouTube and Instagram career. Of course, not everybody who uploads cosplay pictures to Instagram will be an overnight success, but if you follow some good advice and work hard, then you could become a big player in the cosplay scene soon enough.
Support others by watching live eSports or on Twitch
Wait, watching video games instead of playing them? It might seem weird at first, but in actuality, it’s no different from playing basketball in your backyard and watching an NBA game in an arena. eSports players are professional gamers, which means they play in tournaments all over the world for prize money in the millions of dollars. Particularly with MOBA games like League of Legends and DOTA 2, eSports games are often played in the same arenas that would host regular sports, but on those nights, they are filled with screaming fans cheering on their favorite gamers.
Some of these games can be streamed on the internet too, but watching professionals play gives us a fascinating insight into how talented some people can be at video games. When they’re not in a tournament, the same players will sometimes show off their skills on live gaming sessions via Twitch and often receive donations from adoring fans.
So, what are you going to do the next time you put down your controller?
