The day has finally come. You can really get paid to play games!

mekhere

Gamer Sensei is the new get paid to coach pro-gamers website. Are you an expert at your game? Sign up and teach the gamers who want to strive for excellence. 

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https://www.gamersensei.com/

The future is bright boys! We are all going to be paid soon enough to play games! You said I was crazy and it would never happen. Well, it did! Muhahahahaha!

kitarad

In 1999 in Everquest players were getting paid in real life currency to lead successful raids. People whispered about it and condemned them but there were players who wanted those Plane items and raid leaders would hire someone with money they collected., It was all hush hush but it was happening. Even if it was not real money they got items they could sell outside the game for real money. Outside the game auctions were a thing then already.

What about esports and not to forget people like Zizzaren and Mathil who put up a new video on a build and people pour money into their stream. If that is not the very definition of earning money while playing a game I'll say 'uncle'.

I really don't understand where you got the idea that folks here were not aware of this and some clown who laughed at your post must have been  at something else you wrote in that post. It would not have been that people can earn money while playing games.

Teaching people to play games like watching the patterns in FFXIV or learning the clues and following the path on youtube videos that earn money from patreon and donations is how some players put food on the table.

Asmongold has taken it one step further which in my opinion is pretty scummy, he takes other people's videos and comments on it while playing the whole video and the person whose video content he just blithely took for his content then thanks Asmongold because of increased views on their channel. Sad but there it is.

Getting paid to play games has taken many, many forms and since I never spent any real time in UO and am unable to find examples there I'm sure there were people earning money even then playing that game.

I recall one instance where some form of extortion was happening in Lineage. People were paying protection money from getting PKed. I don't know how far this is true however as there were rumours of this going on and I ahd no way of verifying it.

Once games allowed you to buy in game currency with real money it became even more easier to earn real money while playing.

mekhere

Instead of getting paid to play video games through self-employment, you can now earn a steady wage through an employer who takes taxes out. Self-employment through social media sites isn't really steady income that I am aware of. I am referring more to steady income when I say you can get paid. You get an actual paycheck. The majority of players since 1999 didn't really get paid to sell in game items. That was rare back then. They tried to capitalize on selling in game items with NFT's and crypto but after everyone got scammed, they stopped buying the stuff. Now they have small businesses that you can use to get paid like a worker bee and not have to be your own boss. That was a fun journey through time though. I thank you for the 20-year recap.

kitarad

I'd say earning an income in sweatshops where you farmed in game gold on an array of computer was a steady employment too. I would not call that a fun job though but then who has fun while working.

Scot

Well its a living I guess, but anyone actually done this and got a wage out of it?

Amaranthar

Scot said:

Well its a living I guess, but anyone actually done this and got a wage out of it?

It works in China. 
Eh, I'm making an assumption at this point, I guess. 

Kyleran

It was said at one time the Goon swarm paid their senior officers to manage their daily affairs, with reports of $25K to $75K per year.

I do know they used to charge players a monthly fee to be a member which is where the money supposedly came from.

But can't say I ever saw any W2's being shared so probably was all just Goon BS.

Angrakhan

Personally I have found any time I take a hobby of mine and turn it into a job it crushes all of the joy out of my hobby. I'm very good at what I do for a living and get paid very well to do it. I neither need nor want to get paid to play video games because I know it will turn something I've loved almost my whole life into something I regret doing. No thanks.

Scot

Angrakhan said:

Personally I have found any time I take a hobby of mine and turn it into a job it crushes all of the joy out of my hobby. I'm very good at what I do for a living and get paid very well to do it. I neither need nor want to get paid to play video games because I know it will turn something I've loved almost my whole life into something I regret doing. No thanks.

Going back to the days of paper gamer mags and I can remember a few of the gaming journos mentioning how just doing reviews month in, month out, had taken the shine of gaming for them. If your playing is also a job, then gaming will truly become a grind.

madazz

Meh... I saw this in UO back in the 90s. People were paid to guide others.

A more recent one thats been happening for years is also mentoring in League of Legends. There are several sites dedicated to it. And no, I am not referring to paid services to ranking up accounts. The sites literally allow you to connect with a pro player and have them guide you to play better. I saw that a long ass time ago.

Plus, people have been getting paid to compete for many years too.

Old news!

Wargfoot

I'll let them have this one.
Couldn't care less.