Gaming

Myths About Pro-Gamers

“I want to be a professional gamer so that I get to play games all day!”
“No point studying if I want to be a professional gamer, there is no use for a degree!”
“A professional gamer makes lots of money!”

To parents, a stereotypical image of a “professional gamer” is likely that of an overweight person, in front of the computer the whole day, with no friends, no aim in life, and constantly snacking on junk food.

Youths, on the other hand, may think the life of a professional gamer – to play games for a living, doing what they enjoy – seems like a sweet deal.

Here are some myths about what it is like to be a professional gamer and how you can help your child understand the real perspectives.

Myth 1: Professional Gamers can play games all day long

A child might think professional gamers get to play games all day long and do nothing else, since a professional gamer needs to be proficient in perfecting every strategy and gameplay – but nothing could be further from the truth.

For a professional player, there is a difference between working and playing. The difference is the dedication to be disciplined in leading a balanced life and to follow through with a training regime.

Just like a professional sports athlete, a professional gamer also needs to follow a strict training regime, which includes regular meal times and proper diet, getting enough sleep each night, regular physical exercises, in addition to the structured training for the games they are specialising in.

For example, “The Kuala Lumpur Hunters”, a professional gaming team from Malaysia and a reigning champion of the game “League of Legends”, live together under one roof, have a team manager to help them manage their schedule, and a coach who guides them with team strategies and in working together. The team does everything together, in terms of having a meal and exercising to promote team work.

Even in South Korea, where the term eSports and professional gaming originated from, the coach of Team Incredible Miracle, Kang Dong Hoon, has mentioned the importance of having a proper diet and regular exercise: “Physical training is a must. You can’t be successful just by practising games. You can only win when you have both mental and physical health.”

Myth 2: It is easy to be rich when you are Professional Gamer

Many think professional gamers can get rich with the attractive prize money at tournaments, which can range from a few thousand dollars to millions of dollars.

However, only the winner gets the prize money. If you don’t win the tournament, you will still incur the expenses preparing and travelling to participate in it.

Moreover, though the prize money is huge, it is split among many people in the team and to pay other general expenses incurred. Examples include:

• overheads by the organisation the team is signed under
• coach and manager costs
• lodging and accommodation for the team

The prize money is used to pay for these expenses and taxes. After which, it is split among the team members.

In the end, the prize money an individual will walk away with is not a lot. It has been reported fewer than 300 professional gamers have banked in more than $100,000 in tournament winnings.

Myth 3: Professional Gamers do not need a degree as it is a legitimate career

Being a professional gamer may be a legitimate career in China, South Korea, USA, and even in Singapore, where local professional gamer teams like “Chaos Theory” and “Battle Bunnies” receive salaried positions along with CPF. The overall gaming scene around the world is very competitive, as more and more young players are aspiring to be one of the top professional gamers.

As the gaming scene is so competitive, the average lifespan of a professional gamer is about four years before they start to lose their quick thinking and reflexes to the younger players.

Professional gamer, Tom “Orge2” Ryan, who is considered one of the top players of the game “Halo 2”, made over $80,000 in 2007 from tournaments. But since then, he has only taken home $24,000 in tournaments winning for the past few years. He is quickly losing out to younger players because they are much faster and can catch on to new strategies quickly to dethrone the older players.

Most professional gamers retire early between the ages of 23 to 25. Some professional gamers retire to be eSports sports casters or play-by-play announcers for tournaments and competitions.  Others choose to be managers and coaches of a team of younger professional gamers, or stream their games to gain viewership and sponsorship revenues.

Professional gamers need to start thinking about their long-term career and alternative options for their future by their mid-20s. Most will have to go back to school to get a degree.

With these knowledge of what the life of a professional gamer is like, it is good to encourage your aspiring child about the facts of what it really takes to be a professional gamer. You can support their dreams, but it is also important to make them aware of the challenges and have them think and plan for their long-term future as well.