So Your Child Wants To Be a Gamer When They Grow Up?

If your knowledge of video gaming purely consists of the classics like Sonic or Mario, you might be surprised how far games have come along. But when we were children, it was not something that would have been considered a career in any way shape, or form. So what happens if your child actually comes up to you and says that they want to be a professional gamer?

Building Their Portfolio 

These days, you can witness a huge amount of people starting out their budding games careers on platforms like Twitch. The best thing to do if your child wants to be a professional gamer is to get them set up, and it is pretty easy to get a camera, and some Twitch music together so they’ve got a platform to develop their skills with some production value. Of course, it all depends on the age of your child. Giving them a platform might mean that they are open to a lot of criticism on the internet. If you do not like the idea of them having their own Twitch or YouTube channel straight away, you can still give them the opportunities to develop their portfolio at home. 

Helping Them Understand the Variety of Careers 

The gaming industry is, much like the creative industry or the sports industry, full of different career avenues. And in order to make sure that your child has the skills to succeed in a certain area of gaming, it’s important to give them an appreciation of the entire industry. Building up their portfolio is about giving them certain skills. You can help them to build up their focus and attention, while also making sure that they are “match fit,” but you can also help them to plan for the long run. For example, if they are hell-bent on just being a gamer, there could be a variety of other career options available to them. This could be in games development, writing games, or even being a games tester. The most important thing for any child when they have a specific career goal is to work hard, but also appreciate the bigger picture, which is something that we seldom do. But it doesn’t matter whatever career they want, if they can start to appreciate the wide variety of options, this means that they are still working in the gaming industry, just in a different capacity. After all, sports stars become coaches, work behind-the-scenes, or become pundits, and these people have a longer career. 

Ensuring They Have the Ambition and Support 

When your child tells you what they want to be a professional gamer, you might immediately shoot down the idea. In fact, it can be a very lucrative way to make a living, but it’s important that you provide understanding and support. But it’s also about making sure that you are prepared to guide them in the direction of success. You can learn about this industry and find out about strategies, types of games, as well as tournaments. In addition, you need to be there to provide moral support. 

Think of gaming as being an athlete, but they are just sitting down!