You have to admit that at some point you have thought about playing video games…and getting paid to do it. Even if you are a casual gamer or even barely a gamer at all, the idea of playing a video game for cash is still pretty sweet. Especially compared to most bottom level jobs out there. So the question is…can this happen? The short answer is “yes”. It can certainly happen if you get in with the right place.

There are a couple of ways you can get paid to play video games. The first is being hired to beta test a game. Beta testing is extremely important to game developers because without learning about what the player thinks, working out the bugs, and fixing anything else that needs fixing…the game would just end up most likely sucking. A lot of games end up being rushed through this phase because publishers won’t allow time much time for this to take place. It’s these games that make up the bargain bin at your local game store. Now I am not saying that all games that don’t do extensive testing will be horrible, but most of them will. The second way to get paid to play video games is to play competitively in tournaments. Gaming is actualy becoming a sport in a way, and if you hone your skills enough in a game you can earn some big bucks. There are 13 year olds making tons of cash for playing games such as Call of Duty, Counterstrike, Half-life, Quake, and many more popular titles. This used to be limited to the PC, but now with the PlayStation network and Xbox Live…this is being taken to another level. I have a friend who received an invite to play his favorite basketball game for PS3 in a tournament for a grand prize of 100,000. Even if he doesn’t win anything, he gets a free all expense paid trip to Las Vegas just to play a video game. Pretty cool eh? Well, I think so anyway!

In conclusion, there are way to get paid to play video games. You just have to choose which path you want to take or try both. Beta testing is something that you will most likely find online. Browse around the internet and you are bound to find legitimate developers who want to put cash in your pocket for your input on their game. Also, if you are already “pro” at one of your favorite games go ahead and take it to the next level. Try to find some online cash tournaments and enter. If nothing else, you can say you tried. Putting yourself out there is the main thing you have to do to accomplish anything in life. Without trying you will get nowhere fast. With that said, I hope you find what you are looking for with your gaming life. Good luck with the path you choose, and never give up. You will get there.