Gamers Make Money Playing Video Game Tournaments

Computer geeks duped us all, as tales of the vast universe of video game tournaments success stories come forth, and geeks around the world walk away with hefty wallets. These gaming "nerds" are, as a rule, quite young people - too young in fact to buy beer and cigarettes. The video gaming industry is growing up, along with its key players, however. With more than 65 percent of all households participating in video gaming on some level, this sport won't be going away any time soon.

Video games considered to be Real Time Strategy, First Person Shooter games, and Racing games, are call Electronic Sports. Initially played individually or in pairs at home on a gaming console, these games can now be played online with other people in neighboring communities, or in other countries. Tournaments have been organized and played online by Massively Multiple player Online Role Playing Games Massively Multiple-player Online Role Playing Games and can be played for cash. World of War-craft Global Arena, one of the most popular games, brought a sizable first prize of ,000 in 2010. Not a bad payout for participating in a game you can play from your basement.

Many professional gamers honed their skills for years wherever they could find other like-minded people to compete against - in basements, apartments, and dorm rooms. Soon companies began to comprehend the vast potential for marketing products to this swiftly growing society, and the fad began to grow into a sport. When playing a Massively Multiple-player Online Role Playing Game, the player fashions an Avatar, or character, which he then controls as it interacts with the gaming environment. Depending on the game, the Avatar battles enemies such as monsters, assassins and terrorists, and collects objects which are spread throughout the gaming atmosphere. Don't sit on the sidelines of these tremendously fun games just because you aren't an "expert" - there is plenty of excitement to be had for all. Some people have wondered whether the currency played for in these video games is genuine. It is indeed - players deposit real money into a trust fund on the gaming site using their bank cards, and e-check, or Pay Pal. Because these games require actual skill to win, and aren't games of chance, they are perfectly legal in most places. Some expert gamers have earned beefy nest eggs by quitting their regular jobs and playing video game tournaments full time. In a growth industry earning over million in sales in 2008, there seems to be an abundance of opportunities for gamers with snake-like reflexes and speedy fingers.

Due to the immense popularity of video games in these times, video game companies are driven to hurl new games out to the public at break-neck speed. They don't always have enough time to test these new games thoroughly, which is bad for business. This creates an opportunity for video gamers to become Video Game Testers. Testers play new games and report any problems or hiccups in the games to the company. Testers get the opportunity to be first to play new games, and game publishers get live-action testing of their products. In this scenario, everyone wins.

With the immense popularity of video game tournaments, it's no wonder Electronic Sports has been evaluated by the International Olympic Committee for inclusion as an Olympic sport.