As France’s leading cultural industry, the video game sector has experienced significant growth in recent years. Millions of French people play games every day, and for some, a passion for video games can turn into a career. Whether you’re an artist, developer, or communications professional, companies in the sector are seeking out a wide range of talented individuals. Let’s take a closer look at video game careers related to content creation.
New video game professions
There is an abundance of careers related to video games, from design to promotion, as well as courses dedicated to acquiring these skills. It is also possible to become a professional gamer. Alone or in teams, they earn their living by competing against other players in national and international competitions. His is eSports.It is a field of video games that is making waves, with winnings in the millions for the winners of these competitions.
Like footballers, eSports (or pro-gamers) mobilize crowds on the scale of major televised events around streamed competitions. A real video game entertainment machine – called “ eSportainment ” – has been created around this practice. In October 2021, more than 700,000 people connected to Zevent, a streamed charity event organized by the big names in French eSpoesportsr more than 48 hours. Fifty of the most popular French streamers took on live challenges and raised more than 10 million euros for Action Against Hunger.
This explosion in video game streaming demonstrates fans’ appetite for ever more digital content and great opportunities to get started in video game content creation.
Jobs related to content creation
Creating video game content can take many forms, in terms of status or chosen platform, there are many alternatives. You can work for a brand, a company, or on your own on social networks or a dedicated blog; it all depends on your specialty! Whether you choose to share your content in written or visual form, to be a content creator, you don’t need to have a very high level of gaming. What matters are your communication skills, your ability to develop a strategy, to follow trends, and above all, your rigor .
Few independent creators reach the audiences and salaries of the most followed, because the competition is fierce. Most of those who start os independents earn nothing for months before establishing a community. This is a risk to be taken into consideration. However, there is no need to be in the top 50 most followed to be able to make a living from it; some platforms allow you to generate the equivalent of a minimum wage from 500 subscribers. While it is not wise to rely on a single channel for all your income, it is good to have a main platform on which to focus your efforts. Today, streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube Gaming attract many independent content creators: streamers.
Focus on the streamer profession.
Becoming a streamer profession, mission,s and skills
The streamer is therefore a creator whose main content consists of broadcasting his games live. If it comes from eSports, the competition aspect is not as crucial. The streamer is more between the eSportsman and the community manager. Certainly, his audience watches him play, but his expertise in the game can be less important than the link he maintains with his community. He speaks to his audience during the game, moderates the comments, and responds to them. Just like the eSportsman, he must have a certain knowledge of a game, even if he is not necessarily an expert. He must also have technical skills to produce the visual content put online. And like the creator of digital content, he must be regular, keep up to date with trends, and have a long-term strategy to grow his audience, but also keep his long-time fans.
Becoming a streamer: training, stat, us, and remuneration
What training do you need to become a professional streamer?
Although the profession is administratively recognized, there are very few dedicated training courses, often streamers can follow training courses in content creation, including some that are recognized by the Pôle Emploi and can be financially supported. But it is not necessary to do specialized training; any training that imparts skills in graphics and video tools, or communication, can be adequate to launch this career. Many streamers also come from the world of video games or are even self-taught.ht
What legal status for a professional streamer?
Most often, a novice streamer has the status of a micro-entrepreneur and works alone. Experienced streamers with large communities to manage may operate in more traditional structures, where they run a company with a few employees.
How much does a professional streamer earn?
Like any digital content creator, streamers’ income comes from several sources. Most platforms offer subscriptions for less than €10 per month for the most loyal fans. This represents the streamer’s most consistent income if they manage to maintain a connection with their audience. Fans can also choose to make one-off donations, which have different tax rates depending on the amount and context of the donation. Streamers can also benefit from advertising revenue that the platform broadcasts before, after, or around their content. This income is quite unstable and can be low if the streamer’s content contains violence or vulgarity. Finally, a creator with influence over their community can contact or be contacted by brands to promote their products in exchange for compensation. This income depends on the size of the community but also ononee streamer’s negotiation skills.
Most streamers are amateurs who can’t make a full-time living from their passion. There’s no guarantee of success, but if you want to get started, there are still some best practices to follow.
Becoming a Streamer How to Get Your Video Game Business Off to a Good Start
- Choose a niche! Whether it’s a game, a game genre, or a certain humor, the streamer needs to establish a strong identity from the beginning. A niche allows them to:establish a reputationwhich will attract the right audience and, in the long term, the right business partners.
- Have quality equipment! Streamers work on live visuals, so they must have video, audio, and computer equipment that allows them to broadcast their games in good quality. As a beginner who might not see a return on investment, there’s no need to buy the most professional equipment; mid-range equipment will certainly do the trick. Don’t forget to get insurance so you can continue working in the event of a hardware failure. Hiscox offers insurance dedicated tocontent creatorsAndvideo game professionals.
- Be present on all social networks! Make sure that outside of your main streaming platform you stay in touch with your community wherever it is. Share your news, interact with other streamers, promote your broadcasts… Anything goes to promote your business.
- Consistency is key! Even the most well-known streamers lose subscribers when they don’t schedule regular sessions. It’s especially important as a beginner to give a first-time viewer a reason to subscribe by proving that your streams are regular—otherwise, why come back?
- Put things into perspective! It’s quite difficult to make your mark in this industry, and it’s not all rosy: you may receive personal criticism, whether it’s about your game or the quality of your streams. It’s essential to be able to put things into perspective and persevere despite the difficulties. After all, like many passion-based careers, becoming a full-time streamer depends partly on your luck.
Beyond streaming, the video game market is a thriving sector that offers numerous opportunities for video game fans and content creators. There are numerous opportunities between creation and promotion, freelance work, and corporate work that can help you build your dream career in this field.
