Prior to the birth of the internet, it was virtually impossible for introverts to become superstars, unless you were perhaps an author or a Nobel winning scientist. However, following the dawn of the online age a new type of star is being born, away from the glare of paparazzi camera flashes and the pages of traditional newspapers and magazines. Online gaming streamers of differing categories now rule Wi-Fi and broadband connections everywhere, as their content is beamed to audiences that at times surpasses those attracted by cable television networks. Do you fancy a piece of the action? Here’s what it takes!
Get the Right Setup and Choose Your Game
Having decided that the gaming life is the one for you, you’ll need to choose which game it is you want to bet you’ll be best at. Be sure to do your research, deciding whether you perform better as part of a team or as a lone wolf and whether you want high paced action or slow pensive tactical battles. A good place to look for ideas is to head to streaming platforms like Twitch and Mixer, where you’ll find gaming pros of all shapes and sizes playing games as diverse as Fortnite run by Epic Games, Texas Hold’em at PokerStars or Activision’s Call of Duty.
Once you’ve practiced a few games and deciphered which one you’d be willing to pour hundreds of hours of your life into, you’ll need to think about setup. This is key to keeping you comfortable and healthy during the consecutive hours you’ll need to be in front of your screen, or screens. Yep, that’s right, you’ll probably need at least two screens and possibly more, with many poker pros, for example, opting to use three or four so they can play across multiple tables at a time. You can always add to your setup as you progress, with streamers requiring high quality microphones, lighting apparatus and an ergonomically crafted chair.
Build Your Following
Upon reaching a level of play good enough for people to want to tune in to watch you perform day-in-day-out, you’ll want to start streaming on one of the aforementioned platforms. The key to this is patience, as your online brand and reputation starts to grow. Don’t expect to be attraction millions of viewers on your very first stream. In fact, it can be good to start off with a limited following, allowing you to develop your style of delivery, which sort of persona you want to portray and how you wish to interact with your channel’s subscribers. The online gaming community is a surprisingly friendly one, so be sure to reach out to your peers to see if they are willing to give you a helping hand. Good karma goes a long way in the gaming world.
Join a Professional Esports Team
Once you have your stream up and running, your daily view rate is climbing, and you’re taking down tournament titles, it’s time to begin searching for a professional Esports team or poker site to sponsor you. They’ll be able to help take your game and your stream to the next level, often providing financial backing as well as expert coaching and technical advice. You may even receive an invite to abandon your computer, to head to a live event in some exotic corner of the globe.
Rule the World
With your name up in lights on a regular basis all that’s left to is to rule the world, not only online but offline as well. Many online gamers have gone on to stardom in other fields, with KSI recently featuring in a huge pay-per-view boxing event and Ninja appearing on reality TV shows as well as dipping his toe into the world of game development. Your introvert tendencies banished, gaming will have opened doors you never thought existed allowing you to pick and choose how long you spend in your pajamas playing computer games, or in your mansion’s hot tub sipping champagne.
