Successful Players Earn Cash Participating In Video Game Tournaments

The world of video game tournaments is chock full of tales of conquest. Computer experts who got one over on us all by going in nerds and coming away with plump bank accounts. Traditionally these "nerds" are young people, teenagers and young adults. People too young to purchase alcohol or even cigarettes have led the video gaming industry. But the industry has matured, and so has its players. Never fear, video games are still all the rage - someone in more than 65 percent of all households plays, according to the Entertainment Software Association.

Video games are games considered to be Electronic Sports, belonging to Real Time Strategy, Racing games, and First Person Shooter games. These games have migrated from the home gaming console to leagues played online against other players worldwide. Massively Multiple-player Online Role Playing Games have been hosting online tournaments which can be played for cash prizes. In 2010 the first place prize for World of War craft Global Arena was ,000 U. S. - a hefty sum for playing a game from your sofa.

Many professional gamers honed their skills for years wherever they could find other like-minded people to compete against - in basements, apartments, and dorm rooms. Soon companies began to comprehend the vast potential for marketing products to this swiftly growing society, and the fad began to grow into a sport. Massively Multiple-player Online Role Playing Games are computer based games which occur online with thousands of other players world-wide. A player creates a character to represent himself, called an Avatar, which interacts with others in the game. The player then controls his character, or Avatar, as it moves through the game, fighting monsters, terrorists, or other enemies, and collecting objects and prizes that are hidden within the game environment. While there are many "experts" playing in these tournaments, it is not necessary to have experience to join in the fun.

People often ask whether the money earned during this online game playing is real or not. The money, which is deposited into a trust account via Pay Pal, a credit card, or e-check, is absolutely real, and because the video games played are games of skill, not chance, this is legal in the majority of places. In 2008 the video game industry earned more than million in sales. A large number of expert gamers brought home sizable sums of money, having quit their full time jobs to play video game tournaments full time. In such a vast industry there are opportunities a plenty for those with nimble fingers and lightning reflexes.

Due to the immense popularity of video games in these times, video game companies are driven to hurl new games out to the public at break-neck speed. They don't always have enough time to test these new games thoroughly, which is bad for business. This creates an opportunity for video gamers to become Video Game Testers. Testers play new games and report any problems or hiccups in the games to the company. Testers get the opportunity to be first to play new games, and game publishers get live-action testing of their products. In this scenario, everyone wins.

With the immense popularity of video game tournaments, it's no wonder Electronic Sports has been evaluated by the International Olympic Committee for inclusion as an Olympic sport.