1. How Do Free To Play Games Make Money
2. Play Games Make Money Paypal

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Do you love playing video games? Do you enjoy making money?

With all the ways you can get paid, have you considered monetizing your gaming habit? It’s one of the newest ways to make money online, and unlike other side hustles and side jobs, it can be tons of fun.

Play video games, get paid. Play video games; post it on social media, get paid. Pretty awesome, right?

Despite what your 8th grade English teacher might have told you, you can earn extra cash playing video games. Many people turn their love of Grand Theft Auto, Pokémon, and mobile games into part-time or even full-time income, again, all by just being able to play video games.

If you're already gaming, why not take it to the next level and monetize your fun and help pad your bank account?

Here are several ways you can earn and game at the same time.

Table of Contents

• 1 How to Make Money Playing Video Games?
  • 1.8 7. Stream on Twitch

How to Make Money Playing Video Games?

In recent years, they are far more opportunities for monetizing your video game hobby than you might imagine.

We have pulled together the top 15 ways to work toward making money playing your favorite video games!

1. Get Paid Directly to Play – Try Mistplay!

Mistplay is an excellent app available on Android that is a great way to monetize playing video games on your phone.

The app's main focus on providing users an environment in which they can participate in games in exchange for prizes. Through the earning of points, users can join in in-app games to receive gift cards to various retailers such as Amazon, Google Play, and even virtual Visa gift cards.

With Mistplay, you are eligible to receive compensation from the minute you start playing. You can even play with friends and level up your avatar to unlock achievements and earn units faster. They also support user communications and offer a chat feature, encouraging connections amongst participants. Another important note is that users will not pay any fees to download, join, or play games in Mistplay.

There are several other options for apps to monetize gameplay, but Mistplay is definitely at the top of our list!

2. Gamehag

Play free online games to collect Soul Gems and exchange them for rewards! Earn free Robux, Steam Wallet, Prepaid Mastercard, and more!

Play games, Complete tasks, Get rewarded!

3. Video Game Coaching

One of the coolest ways to make money playing video games is by offering to coach your favorite competitive game (such as League of Legends).

Video game coaches make anywhere from $20 to $200 per hour, depending on how good they are and how in-demand their services are. For example, Metaphor (a League of Legends coach mentioned in the YouTube section) offers coaching services for $50 to $80 per hour.

Getting started as a coach typically means gaining an audience through a platform like YouTube and offering your services to your audience.

4. Game Tester

The most basic difference between a Quality Assurance tester and a ‘Game Tester' or ‘Beta Tester' is that QA deals with a product that is already met a certain level of quality as desired by the developers.

Being a ‘Tester' involves trying to ‘break' a game or find out ways to mess it up or analyze why it may or may not be fun for users.

5. Become a Professional Gamer

Pro Gamers are now competing worldwide and winning millions at events sponsored by the Major League Gaming circuit, the International Dota 2 championship, and Intel Extreme Masters. MLG has built arenas across the country from which to host and stream live professional gaming events. It even has scouts and communities on the internet to find the best, untapped players.

The best advice for getting involved is to pick a game, namely one you consider yourself already good at playing, and become an expert at it. From there, work on building your reputation as both a skilled player and a team player. Then it is time to participate in eSports games!

6. Start a YouTube Channel

YouTube

We've mentioned YouTubers a lot over the past few months, and it's because the financial gain in the YouTuber-verse is full of possibilities. If you're looking for a way to earn money while gaming, YouTube is a great place to start.

Through YouTube, you can build your channel to a level in which you are monetizing your content. If you haven't already, check out our piece here that gives you the insight you need to become a successful YouTube content creator.

Once you've mastered the steps required to monetize your channel, you can take your content in any direction you choose. Whether you want to live to stream your gaming, critique others' gaming, or offer tutorials on gaming tips and tricks, YouTube is an excellent platform to use to address all of these subjects.

We recommend using YouTube to further your gaming research, too. If you're looking for in-depth information on monetizing your gaming habits, YouTube is a wealth of knowledge for that topic, as well. Whatever your approach is, starting with YouTube is the way to go.

7. Stream on Twitch

Many gamers stream their online play to turn a profit. The most common platform for doing so is Twitch, an online streaming mecca for players worldwide.

Twitch has a monetization structure similar to YouTube. It requires you to build a following and apply for monetization status once you've established yourself as a gamer who can drive traffic to the site. Money-making your streaming comes from adventures like Google Adsense, and you get paid for the number of views you’ll get towards your videos.

Ads

When you've reached your status as a monetized streamer, Twitch will compensate you in various ways. For every subscriber who visits your channel, you will receive $5.00.

You will also have the option to add a Google Adsense-like set-up with your channel. This will enable you to receive monetary compensation for ads placed on your page. For every 1,000 ad views you receive, you'll earn $3.00.

Amazon Affiliate Links

Twitch allows its users to capitalize on Amazon affiliate links. This means that gamers can recommend products and items available for purchase on Amazon. They can offer direct access to the products to their viewers via an affiliate link.

Every time a product purchase occurs utilizing the link, the gamer receives payment for creating this connection. It's a passive income generation method for players to advertise items and products they like to anyone who views their channel.

PayPal Donations

Many successful gamers have found that they can market and receive PayPal donations from loyal fans or sponsors.

Yep, you read that right. You can ask for money, and people will give it to you to keep playing your video games. The thought process behind this is that gamers will invite fans to help them continue to game at the intensity they are doing so.

Part of enabling this commitment is assuring that financially, the gamer can satisfy their basic living needs. Okay, maybe some of their needs aren't so “basic,” but we're going to trust that you get the picture.

The reason many gamers will receive PayPal donations is that viewers want to learn and replicate the tips and tricks the player uses. If you think of gaming as performance art, then the idea of donating to a gamer's PayPal account becomes much more reasonable.

It beats the thought of giving some cash to your younger brother for playing video games.

Practical Tips to Increase Revenue When Live Streaming

Much like we mentioned above, thinking of gaming as performance art is the best way to understand how to achieve the highest level of success. Live stream gamers need to be engaging.

They should have larger than life personalities that attract a high volume of views. This goes hand-in-hand with having a voice that is enjoyable to listen to. If a gamer isn't pleasing to listen to or is dull, both of these will turn viewers off.

Another facet of the live streaming puzzle is creating regular content. You'll want viewers to know when they should tune in to your streaming. Keeping a regular schedule will help them start watching you on a particular day and time.

Networking is the final piece to the trifecta of tips and tricks of live stream gaming. Interacting with your viewers, fellow live streamers, and sponsors are some of the most effective methods to advance your reputation as well as your bankroll.

Much like business networking, live stream gaming requires an equal, if not more, amount of investment in your relationships.

8. Contact Potential Sponsors

After you get a following for your stream, whether it's on YouTube, Twitch, or elsewhere, to generate more revenue, you will likely want to contact sponsors. This is very similar to how television producers used to seek sponsors for programs.

To acquire sponsors, the first thing you need to do is prepare to impress them. Make sure your channel displays precisely what you envisioned. You will then want to search for brands that you like that might be interested in sponsoring you. It is also essential to consider whether or not you would use their products. This is important as you will be marketing for that brand!

The most crucial part is that you are presenting yourself as someone that would be a great fit to sponsor their brand.

9. Provide Game Play Tutorials

Providing gameplay tutorials is a great way to grab new viewers and monetize gameplay. Your YouTube channel or streaming site will earn money with every person that clicks on it. Advertisers pay Google, for instance, to display ads on videos. Google, a division of Alphabet, owns YouTube.

To start, open an account at AdSense, and link it to your YouTube account. Choose whether you want video or banner ads to display.

It does take more time to make money off the concept of video game tutorials. You will want to grow your audience into the thousands to make decent money off this concept.

10. Compete in Tournaments

While not a consistent source of money (unless you're incredibly talented), winning game tournaments for competitive games like Call of Duty, League of Legends, Fortnite, etc., can net you some serious cash.

One of the world's top e-sports competitive, Timothy Miller (aka “Bizzle”), earns around $322k per year participating in Fortnite tournaments.

This is probably the easiest way to make money playing video games and not a big earner unless you're really good at the game and consistently win.

11. Quality Assurance Tester

Video games are ultimately the result of computer programming. Getting a computer to react to the developer and gamers want it to, look right, and perhaps feel as realistic as possible. To achieve this, game design companies need some independent people to tell them what is good, what is bad, what works, and what doesn't.

That's where being a QA tester comes in. The designers and developers need to know how users feel about a new game or upgraded design, not just technical problems. They're not testing the wiring or circuitry or power supply. Like kids with a new toy, they're testing how much more fun a new or upgraded game is for players than those already in the market.

QA testers don't just play a game through to its highest possible level. They play different designs; different builds multiple times until they can find nothing to object to and report if they had fun!

Think of working in QA as being paid to solve multiple puzzles. Any glitch or mistake or thing wrong in a program must be reproducible, so developers can figure out how to eliminate it.

Much of QA work is contract work, but it still could pay between $10 and $15 an hour. That's is a pretty good wage for playing video games!

12. Become a Game Developer

Another way to earn as a gamer is to develop the games yourself. Game developers at major companies like Ubisoft or EA earn an average salary of $83,000. However, jobs for major game companies are notoriously stressful and tend to force you to work long hours and holidays.

Alternatively, you can become a solo game developer and make money through game sales and in-game purchases. For example, Minecraft was developed solely by Markus Persson under his company Mojang. Mojang sold to Microsoft for a whopping $2.5 billion.

13. Work as a Video Game Journalist

Another avenue is through journalism. Most video game journalists earn around $26,000 per year, making it one of the lowest-income opportunities on this list.

But if you love games and love writing and reporting, this is a great opportunity, and you can earn much more as your skill increases!

To get started as a journalist, you'll most likely need at least a bachelor's degree in journalism and some journalistic experience (like the school paper and/or an internship). Speaking of internships, an unpaid internship is a great way to get your foot in the door as a game journalist!

14. Work in Customer Service for a Game Company

Like every other industry, gamers also need customer support. Becoming a customer service rep for a game company is a great way to get paid in the video game industry. The average customer service representative makes $13.64 per hour, with some making up to $20 per hour.

Like Blizzard, some companies even have in-game admins who play the game and deliver support via the in-game chat function.

Landing this job is more about your customer service skills than your gaming skills. You have to be good with people and have excellent communication skills. Getting an internship is one of the best ways to get started on this career path.

15. Create & Sell Video Game Inspired Merchandise

Possibly one of the coolest ways to get paid to play is by creating and selling your own game-inspired merchandise. Just go on Etsy and type “Legend of Zelda” — you get over 16,000 results of t-shirts, figurines, coffee mugs, and more.

If you take this route, it means you're creating a business. The sky limits how much you can make, but getting to $50,000 per year is possible with the right product and excellent marketing skills.

To get started on this, you'll need to figure out precisely what type of products you want to sell. That will then give you the list of what you will need to make those items.

16. Farm In-Game Currency

Many MMO's have a farmable in-game currency that people who don't feel like spending their own time earning can pay you for it.

This is probably the most time-consuming and lowest-paying opportunity on this list next to customer service work — there are gold farmers in countries like China who do this all day for a fairly low amount. This is not the most popular form of getting that extra cash through gaming, but it is worth noting on this list as an option.

Game On!

Now that you have an entire list of options to choose from go ahead and explore which ones are best for you.

Try not to forget that it will take some time and effort to make substantial money while playing those awesome games.

Consider trying several different outlets at once! For example, you could give both streaming and doing game tutorials a try.

Time to grab your controller and start on your journey toward making money playing your favorite video games!

How would you like to get paid to test video games?

If you like and play a lot of video games, this is right up your alley.

According to THEESA (The Entertainment Software Association) 75% of Americans have at least one gamer in their household!

And we spend quite a bit of money on games.

$23.5 billion to be exact!

But there are ways to make this a little less expensive habit.

You can even get paid to play games!

There is also another way to make money (and get premium games for free)…

Paid video game testing!

Why would gaming companies pay me to test games?

There are thousands of video games available in today’s market.

And every day, hundreds more are introduced.

Some flop, some succeed, and a few become big hits like Guitar Hero, Halo, Final Fantasy, Wii Fit, Grand Theft Auto, SSX, and Metroid.

Now, designing and production of video games is a long process.

It takes a lot of time, effort and money.

So the software companies behind these games need to eliminate any issues before they release the game to the public.

Imagine how pissed you’d be if you paid $50 for a game only to have to deal with bugs and errors.

To avoid losing loyal customers (and revenue,) video games companies, like any other smart software company, conduct tests before they actually release the product to the market.

This isn’t limited to just gaming companies, most companies do this. For example, Facebook pays you up to $500 for any bugs you find on their platform.

By having beta testers test the products, companies can find and fix potential bugs and errors before it gets too out of hand.

This is almost like market research and those paid surveys where you get paid to share your opinion about products before they are released to the market.

Of course, you won’t find many video game testers who would do this for free.

To entice gamers to participate, they reward them with money, prizes and free video games, online games and more.

Interested?

Let’s get you familiar with how it all works and how you can become a paid video game tester.

What exactly do you do as a game tester?

As a tester, you have one job and one job only…

Play games and report any bugs, errors, or glitches you come across.

That’s what it comes down to.

Of course, there are a few specific things that they want you to look out for.

Some of the features that testers need to inspect are:

• compatibility
• compliance
• functionality
• localization and beta
• regression load
• locating faults that may cause crashing of console, freezing of games, erasing of programs or distort visuals.

It’s really a fun job.

Sure, you may not always get a testing job for a game you like. but sometimes you may get lucky and get assigned to test play one of your favorite games.

Either way, you play the game!

It’s a simple process that can be broken down into 4 steps.

Here’s how it works:

1. Play the game, looking for bugs and errors.
2. When you find a bug, you’ll have to reproduce (“repro“) it.
3. Type a bug report via the provided form (usually part of a bug-tracking software.)
4. Submit your report to the developers of the game so they can fix it.

In some cases, the game developers may contact you for more details.

Game tester salary: How much money can you make?

The amount of money you can make as a game tester really varies.

You can get paid hourly or an annual salary.

Either way, the pay rate varies based on a few factors like the game company hiring you, your experience, geographical location and so on.

You can expect anywhere from $10 per hour to $100 per hour.

According to Gamasutra Salary Survey, the average annual salary of a tester is about $54,833.

Now here is the interesting part…

According to the same survey, for those with over 6 years of experience, the salary went up to $62,885 a year.

So, just like in most other industries, entry-level workers are paid less than those with more experience.

Sidebar: If you own a lot of games and want to make some fast cash, check out our post on best places to sell video games for cash.

How do you become a video game tester?

Normally, you can find video game tester jobs on third-party platforms that specialize in connecting testers with software companies.

That said, manufacturers of video games – Namco, EA Sports, Sega, PlayStation, Capcom, Sony, Konami, Apple,… – also offer video game testing jobs from time to time.

Most don’t have a dedicated panel where you can sign up year-round, but there are a few that do.

It’s important to note that in most aces you won’t be hired as an employee. Game testing jobs are offered on a contract basis. Meaning, you’ll be working as an interdependent contractor.

Ready to get started?

Here are a few companies offering video game testing jobs:

1. iGameLab

iGameLa is a part of PanelPolls, a market research company.

By joining the panel, you can become a beta tester and get paid to play

• Online games
• Mobile games/apps
• Virtual worlds
• Websites

According to the site, active testers earn $10.00-$15.00 for every month of participation.

• Where to apply:https://community.panelpolls.com/iGamelab.php

2. Nintendo

Working with Nintendo is a gamer’s dream.

We all know Nintendo, one of the biggest names in the gaming industry.

Many of us grew up playing Nintendo games such as Super Mario and Contra.

Nintendo hires testers through two different contractors/temp agencies – Parker Staffing Services and Allegis Group.

Unfortunately, they do not offer off-site beta testing or remote video game testing jobs.

All their current positions are located in Redmond, Washington.

Update: They seem to longer have the game tester position open as of 10/19/2020 but they may bring it back again. So bookmark the page linked below and check back for future openings.

• Where to apply: https://careers.nintendo.com/

3. VMC – Global Beta Test Network

Want to be the first to play big games?

This is the platform for you!

The Global Beta Test Network is a community of hundreds of gamers from all over the world that help gaming companies test their games through the process known as “Stress Testing.”

Through VMC, you get to play and test AAA multiplayer console games.

To qualify, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Sign a non-disclosure agreement
• Be able to focus and follow instruction
• Behave professionally at all times.

These are paid jobs, although they don’t mention how much exactly you get paid (I’m guessing it’s because the pay varies based on the test.)

Compensation is an hourly rate based on where you live.

You receive your payment via PayPal 45 days after the end of the project.

• Where to apply:https://www.vmc.com/join-gbtn/

4. RockStar Games

Even if you’re not a gamer, you’ve provably heard of Grand Theft Auto. RockStar Games is the company behind it and many other top games.

RockStar is looking for “passionate, enthusiastic and self-motivated individuals” to join their QA (Quality Assurance) teams in various cities.

You must be at least 18 years old, and you may be asked to complete a video interview as well.

Keep an eye on their career page for openings in other cities.

• Where to apply:https://www.rockstargames.com/careers/openings/position/4047003003

5. Blizzard

Blizzard is one of the top game designers/developers. Some of their most successful games include World of Warcraft, Diablo, and StarCraft.

They hire game testers as temporary workers.

They don’t have open potions year-round, but they do from time to time.

To get notified, keep an eye on their Careers page.

If you like working in the gaming industry, they have other open positions for Animators, Designers, Character Artist and more.

• Where to apply:https://careers.blizzard.com/global/en

6. UserTesting

UserTesting is a great site for getting paid to test not only games but also websites, apps and other tech products.

You earn $10 for every 20-minute test you complete. They also have interviews for testers that pay much more. They pay via PayPal.

• Where to apply: https://www.usertesting.com/get-paid-to-test

7. Beta Family

If you like playing mobile games, this is a great game testing opportunity. The company rewards you for testing and providing feedback about gaming apps.

• Where to apply:https://betafamily.com/register?r=t–tester

8. BetaTesting (former Erli Bird)

With BetaTesting, you get paid to test websites & hardware and new apps (some of which are gaming apps). You earn $10-$20 for most tests (or more).

• Where to apply:https://betatesting.com/beta-testers

9. Betabound

Betabound is a website that allows you to become a beta game tester without requiring much experience of any kind. You need to be 18 years of age or older.

With Betabound you get to test and provide feedback on products from “some of the biggest names in tech before they are launched to the public.”

Anyone can apply to become a Betabound tester. To start, sign up for a free account and start applying for available tests. Pay varies based on each test and its requirements.

How Do Free To Play Games Make Money

• Where to apply:https://my.betabound.com/welcome/

10. Android Central Forum

Android Central forum is one of the top forums where Android developers can get help, share tips and discuss phones, Android OS and more. The forum has one specific section called “Developer Beta Testing”. Here developers post ads when they are looking for beta testers to test out their apps, games and software. So it’s a great place to check for game testing opportunities.

• Where to apply:https://forums.androidcentral.com/developer-beta-testing/

11. Bananatic

Banantic is another testing site that rewards you for testing online games.

Once you register, you can play free online games as a tester to earn rewards. You can also earn rewards by reviewing games. For every test and review, you earn “Bananas” which is their form of virtual currency. You can then exchange your bananas for real prizes such as games and prepaids, CSGO skins, steam wallets, amazon, paysafecards, etc.

• Where to apply:https://www.bananatic.com/

How to Find More Game Testing Jobs

The companies mentioned above aren’t the only game (pun intended) in town.

Remember we said most game companies don’t have a dedicated panel?

So how do they find testers for their games?

Ads on a job site!

When they need testers, they simply put ads on job search engines.

And that’s where you can find more legitimate game testing jobs.

Play Games Make Money Paypal

All you have to do is g to your favorite job site and search for terms like:

• “game tester jobs near me”
• “game tester jobs at home”
• “game tester jobs no experience”
• “entry level game tester jobs”
• …

I found a few dozens of openings on some of the top job search sites.

Here are some of the available game tester jobs on:

• Indeed: Current companies hiring include Big Fish Games and Electronic Arts.
• ZipRecruiter: Current companies hiring include RockStar and Ubisoft.
• GlassDoor: Current companies hiring include Epic Games and Gearbox Software.
• CareerBuilder: Current companies hiring include Steam and Big Fish Games.
• Linkedin: Current companies hiring include Epic Games and RockStar.

In just a few minutes, I was able to find available testing jobs for some of the biggest game development companies like Big Fish Games, C2S Technologies, RockStar North and Blizzard.

If you’re serious about wanting to make money as a game tester, I’d definitely keep an eye on these sites.

Tips for success

Here are a few tips to help you get that dream job.

Location matters

Unfortunately, remote testing jobs are rare. Most companies require you to show up in their studio somewhere and play the game under controlled situations.

So, living in big cities, especially tech and software hubs, like San Francisco, is your best bet for landing a beta tester job.

Reports from Houston Chronicle suggest that major cities like Los Angeles, New York and Seattle offer maximum opportunities for working as a game tester.

Learn to speak the language

Game developers look for people who are passionate and talented about games.

You should get familiar with gaming terminology and trends.

If you are already an expert on certain types of games, try some new games.

It will be helpful for you to learn how to write a test report, be aware of the ongoing trends in the industry.

And if you ever find an internship opportunity for a gaming company, do not mess it up!

Experience matters

Some companies don’t require degrees or years of experience. You may be able to find entry level jobs.

That said, having a degree in software development, computer programming or graphic design is a great tool for landing, not just testing, but any other job in this industry.

Scam Alert: Game-Testers.net

Finding legitimate game testing jobs is kind of hard, which is why a lot of people fall for scams.

One of those is Game-Testers.net.

The site claims you can make $50 to $150 an hour playing games from anywhere.

But here is the catch…

You have to actually pay to join the site!

They charge something like $50 for the “membership fee!”

I mean, what legit company that is hiring people, charges you to work for them?

And you know what you get for it?

Nothing!

All you get is a guide on how to get started (just like what you’re reading now, for free!) and links to major game development companies like Microsoft and Activision.

So, please stay away from this one and others like it.

In general, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Resources

When researching for this post, I came across a lot of great resources that I think are very helpful for anyone interested in making money as a game tester.

Here are some of them:

• How to Get a Job as a Video Game Tester: A great guide by Volt that paints a realistic picture of this job and what you can expect.
• Inside the ‘dream job’ of a video game tester: A Business Insider’s interview with a someone who does this for a living.

Good Luck!

Have you ever been paid for testing video games?

Would you do it if you were offered a job?

And if you know of any other company that offers video game testing jobs, please leave a comment below.