By Or Briga, co-founder and CEO of Novos
2020 has seen a sudden rise in the number of gamers. People of all ages are playing their favourite video-game titles in 2020 because of the extra time they have.
Gaming companies are struggling to keep their servers in top condition because of the sudden surge in players. Getting into a lobby with all a group of friends and starting a session of gaming is the present “go-to” for millions of people these days.
In this article, I’m going to highlight my views on why Gaming is the next biggest backbone for socialising and not a fad to be taken lightly by any means.
Gaming for the win!
Quarantine measures in response to Covid-19 required us to stay indoors and study/work from home. Continuous work however, demands relaxation in the form of entertainment, and gaming played a crucial role in fulfilling that need. Socialising online via gaming platforms has allowed people with common interests to interact amongst themselves over topics they could have never discussed with anyone else. All this works well when clubbed with friends over voice parties.
Team modes in Battle Royale games force people who’ve never met before (or friends) to interact and help each other out to secure a win. Hence, the element of how to approach and talk to people is instilled naturally into gamers. Even if you have a history of being an introvert, gaming helps you instantly by forcing you to reach out and interact during various phases of a game.
More than just a game
In the past decade, it’s been very clear that competitive gaming isn’t the only real side to the gaming sector. Streamers who have previous esports experience, have made more money through non-competitive routes than they have in competitive winnings. They have tens of thousands of fans watching them on a daily basis because of their personalities clubbed along with their insane gaming skills.
For them, none of this happened overnight. They excelled at various games and had a fun personality which was ultimately why people started watching their streams on a daily basis. The way you talk and portray yourself while playing drastically impacts the future of your career. Every gamer has his unique identity which either makes or breaks him as a gamer. Streamers like NickEh30 (primarily a Fortnite streamer) did not become famous because of his competitive edge. He made sure his content was PG friendly and filled with positive vibes throughout. He took his stream very seriously and focused on his community more than the competitive side of gaming. Now, he’s a role model to many upcoming esports athletes for being one of the best professional streamers in the world.
The career possibilities that gaming has to offer completely rely on your personality and your approach to video games. If socializing while gaming is what excites you the most, there’s a particular path you have to follow. If it’s the competitive side that drives you, there’s a different path.
Let’s take a look at esports and its benefits.
What is esports? What are the opportunities in it?
In simple terms, professional tournaments for video games is what “esports” is all about. Initially, the amount of money allotted for video games and its prizes was negligible. With the sudden boom in the past decade, game developers have been generous in hosting tournaments round the year and with cash prizes comparable to any other sport.
Just to give an example, Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf won $3 million USD for the Fortnite World Cup which was more than what Novac Djokovic got after winning the Wimbledon Open the same year. $30 million USD was distributed in cash prizes among the top 100 players based on placements.
The money sounds great but before you decide on your career change, you should be aware that making it to the top requires a lot of hard work and overcoming many obstacles, just like every other industry. Know what you are going into and realize that only the very top players today make this sums of money.
Games such as League of legends, Counter-Strike and Dota have been dominating the esports scene for more than a decade now. The number of players and tournaments has been increasing drastically over the past few years and it doesn’t look like slowing down anytime soon. Game developers are ensuring they build a strong community with massive rewards to anyone who excels in the game.
Coaches for esports Athletes
Coaching esports athletes is now trending in almost every video game title there is. Professional players require a person to guide them and help them out during their gameplay. The role of a coach is to be a “subject matter expert” of the game. This ensures the Pro-player is getting all the info he needs about the changes in the game and the latest strategies being used to outplay opponents.
Everyone who plays the same video game title regularly knows the extra amount of time needed to keep up with the game changes. A coach sits with the player during his long grind sessions and calls out the best options/strategies available to the player while he’s playing. All this is done ideally on a Discord call and the coach watches the pro in action via his stream.
In addition, the best esports teams have coaches on salary scales higher than the pro-players themselves.
How we can help
We at Novos understand what it means to become a real gamer. We understand that there is a competitive drive that ignites any gamer and that’s where the journey begins. We have already invested in game-specific tools that are aimed at improving your skillset on a daily basis. Our community is growing and we would love for you to be a part of it.
We focus on guiding players in a personalized way and do not lose sight of why you came for: the love of the game. We want you to be in the driver’s seat making stress-free decisions related to gaming and what it offers for you. Whether it’s helping you out with game tactics or streaming advice from the best in the industry, we’re equipped with the right tools and data to get you on-route to success.
