gaming as a career

[Raedon]

Do you think we will see the day when gamers get the same star status as Football players or race car drivers? Will there be like a Sunday night - Frag night and million $$$ contracts?

[Slimedog]

I honestly hope not. Whenever I look at professional sports, my view of humanity grows a bit dimmer.

[GrandAmChandler]

Wasn't there that guy on MTV that made is his living in Chicago or something playing Golden Tee? If I recall he made quite a bit!

[Queen Of The Felines]

I wouldn't be surprised. If people can make millions playing poker then why not video games?

Kristine

[badinsults]

Play starcraft. Move to korea. Become a star!

[poopnes]

"Can you believe we get paid for playing games?"

[drewbrim]

Wasn't there that guy on MTV that made is his living in Chicago or something playing Golden Tee? If I recall he made quite a bit!

I personally know two people who do this. In addition to the league/tournament prizes they bring in, their big money comes when the hole in one prizes are $1000. They figure out how to make it and then go around to every machine in the area and win a grand from each machine. I've seen the checks. They're usually $15,000 -$25,000.

But as far as how I interpret this particular question. No, I don't think "regular" people will have a chance to make a living playing games. By regular I mean those who aren't testing them, writing about them, or whatnot. In other words I can't see the day where someone could "go pro" in Madden or whatever if they get good enough.

The profit we make on our auctions/sales is pretty much the closest to getting paid most of us will get.

[Sosage]

"Can you believe we get paid for playing games?"

...a little taste of vomit hits my tongue every time that commercial comes on.

[§ Gideon §]

Heheh, I'm glad I'm not the only one.

There have been professional sports for over a millenium... Personally, I think video games need to be more fun to watch if they're ever going to take off like that. When you watch a boxing match, there's emotion. There's a story. You can see it in the fighters' eyes or in the way they move. If it were a video game, you wouldn't be able to see that--unless you looked at the gamer. In which case, you wouldn't be able to see the game...

Though, it's an interesting thought. The economy will probably find a way to make it viable. If you build it, they will come.

[shoes23]

Doesn't the Madden Bowl have a $50,000 top prize? Hone your skills to the extreme and you could bring in an average salary each year just by winning the tournament.

[smork]

Hell, I love games, and I can't watch that show on G4 where they show the teams going head to head. I can wach my friends play games, or somebody at the arcade, but i'll never be able to watch some random person playing on TV.

That "can you believe we gaid paid to play games" commercial causes stroke-like symptoms for me when it comes on.... ugggggh......

[njiska]

Hell, I love games, and I can't watch that show on G4 where they show the teams going head to head. I can wach my friends play games, or somebody at the arcade, but i'll never be able to watch some random person playing on TV.

Exactly my point. Gaming doesn't translate well to television because the presentation is all wrong and you lack interactivity. It'll be interesting to see what happens with Gotham TV. Maybe it'll work.

[jajaja]

Its already like this down in Asia. Serious gamers have the same status as popstars.
But I dont think it will be like this in Europe or USA, atleast not in the next 10-20 years.

[Cmosfm]

"Can you believe we get paid for playing games?"

That's what I was gonna post! :P

How about...

"Awww hurry up man, boss is coming!"

[davidleeroth]

Well there's already the Global Gaming League and Cyberathlete Professional League. I hear they both have a lot of viewers in their events, both online and on the spot.
Isn't X-Box 360 suppose to have this kind of stuff planned within the Live service?

I think Fatal1ty made something like $200k from tournaments alone last year. Top that with all the cash from the sponsors and I'd say he's doing alright.

[Dr. Morbis]

There have been professional sports for over a millenium...

Do you mean a century or am I missing something? What sport(s) were professional athletes competing in during the Renaissance?

[Vixenkit]

"Can you believe we get paid for playing games?"

That's what I was gonna post! :P

How about...

"Awww hurry up man, boss is coming!"

~chuckles softly~ Hee. Although this thread is more along the lines of gaming for a living (some CCG gamers do it even, why not video games? There are Quake and other FPS cons and tournaments where money is on the line. If you are good at something, you can be good enough to make a living at it.) that commercial makes me sick because what the commercial shows is bullshit. "We just finished level three and need to tighten up the graphics a little."

Right. Programmers play their code if they are lucky. But then, if they showed the reality of the job... Hmmm..

Commercial opens with this scene: Evening at some generic game company. We see a harried-looking individual furiously typing away at a computer screen, several almost-finished cups of coffee that are at varying degrees of temperature are strewn about the cubicle. A co-worker sits at a cubicle right next to them in a similar state of disarray.

Programmer 1: Oh man, the boss is coming!

Programmer 2: Oh, shit!

Boss: "Where's that code? I needed it five minutes ago! And testing just found another crash bug in your code guys! We need it redone again!"

Boss storms away. Programmer 1 slumps over their desk.

Programmer 1: I'm going to kill myself.

Programer 2: Me first.

Yeah, okay. Maybe not that bad, but a job in the game industry is not as glamorous as the commercial makes it seem. I apologize for being off-topic.

[Jorpho]

What is this dreadful commercial of which all of you speak?

[Slimedog]

What is this dreadful commercial of which all of you speak?

Its on G4. Its one of many ads for game design courses at various colleges. If your cable company doesn't have G4, call them up and make sure they don't start.

[Nes]

Gaming as a career? Why don't you just slap your mom in the face right now and get it over with?

[Raedon]

I could see games on TV if it was shot more like WWF or Nascar.. I mean, the only thing I've seen was on G4 and the gamers SUCKED and there wasn't ONE girl half naked anywhere... :shameful:

[Promophile]

There have been professional sports for over a millenium...

Do you mean a century or am I missing something? What sport(s) were professional athletes competing in during the Renaissance?

Think earlier and think Olympics.

[izret101]

There have been professional sports for over a millenium...

Do you mean a century or am I missing something? What sport(s) were professional athletes competing in during the Renaissance?

Think earlier and think Olympics.

LOL

Beat me to it.

And isn't there already alot of ways you can make a life out of gaming?

I know a guy on Halo 2 who competes in local tourneys a few times a week.
Or so he says.

Many people play games and then sell accounts in auctions.

I don't think people will sit down and watch it like they would a football game but it will always hold a niche and will provide an avenue of income for those who can find various ways to exploit it.

[Slimedog]

I could see games on TV if it was shot more like WWF or Nascar.. I mean, the only thing I've seen was on G4 and the gamers SUCKED and there wasn't ONE girl half naked anywhere... :shameful:

Well, if you saw gamers and no half naked girls, they you couldn't have been watching G4. Pretty much every show has at least one clueless ditz for eye candy and half of the shows have nothing to do with gaming.

[Yamazaki]

Its also a cultural ting. In South Korea there like 20 channels just for gaming. And a fucking lot of viewers!

[Avatard]

I've seen on TV this one guy who has won a couple of Quake Cons and is considered a pro gamer of sorts. Makes nice cash. This was 3 years ago or so.

[Raedon]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,169080,00.html

well foxnews covers the world cybergames..

..I wonder if Moutain Dew could be considered an unfair inhancement?