Is gaming a viable means of making a living, the crypto gaming debate

This is more a statement at what it means to get paided for playing games, and these include the wild subject of gaming and if not for the 1% of very skilled players but as a general guide for anyone as this is both a combination of experience and other methods i have seen other implement and these will cover Crypto and Play to pay Games / Professional Gaming including completions and tournaments / Streaming and Content Creating / Gambling games or staked money games

Crypto and Play to pay These games are of the most varied and also due to this also the easiest type to gain access to, However do not be confused of being the easiest to join as also the easiest to make money. A fine example which I do believe this community is familiar with is of course splinterlands and the use of card battles in the form of printed and unique NFT'S

Now with this game it is possible to completely pay this game for free and in theory so long as you put time into it, come out with high level card due to accumulating them over time, As with most people they don't have the time to put in they tend to approach this with a mixed approach of time and money into it with using the profits back into the game in order to earn more in the long run. Now both methods are viable but with many of these unless you put a lot of time or a lot of money into it your not going to see the results immediately. Now axie follow this model as well but in terms of a different game style with NFTs but on the ERC blockchain however we both of these games and a lot of other that follow this model the main basis is trying to improve upon the game that it is built on with land expansions, new releases all in a constantly changing game type to appeal to the most people at once. but all this equals that if you get into a game at the right stage even having a little bit can spread into assets of decent amounts, but whether buying or putting time in, i find it only serves as a part of the way to supporting you, (Exception being  on the top players)

Professional Gaming These are the people who you see that know every map like the back of their hand, one who have seen a single play or move more times then you might have even played the game. Now this is where people who do this treat the game like a Professional Sport (esports) and train at the game for hours a day to remain in apex conditions. Now for many people including myself it is a level of commitment that a lot of people can't have the time to do. So in place of this they are a lot of minor tournaments and entry level competitions people can enter that offer cash prizes for entering. most of these involve qualifying and might have minor entry fees but can be rewards with fame and cash rewards and if implanted with the other methods mentioned can aid the other sides of gaming for both assets and exposure. Now if you improve the games you enter as a benefit can increase the difficulty would by benefit increase the overall reward that this would yield, and if given enough time can be picked up by a professional team many games that do this include CSGO, League of Legends, Call of duty online, Apex legends. and in the future this will only increase as more decide to add they list to a growing industry in the billions and it only going to get bigger.

Streaming and making content This is the more personal side of making a living by gaming, and can extend by a position to not just gamers alone but to any walk of life, DIY, financial advise, Hot tub but as a primary most people who stream or make videos do so in regards to a game or game series they enjoy to play now this itself has been shown to help people monetise they content they provide for people in terms of Ad revenue or by donations or sponsorships they are able to acquire from companies wishing to stand behind a certain content creator And with these deals they are heavily able to provide for the person promoting the product. now as stated before you can mixed this in with the two other options as part of it to not only add to your profits and exposure But also add to the increasing revenue stream, and by combining and finding a balance you make it work within your needs as a person. now this is the more costly option due to the fact that you tend to need the equipment first before you can start, whether that is a camera on your phone or even a £2000 gaming pc with Green screen and Quality equipment. Also adding the risk I find is always doing all of these while increase all of this but unless you have a lot of time on your hands it does become hard to balance these all equally, and can affect income if not managed correctly, this is why the benefit of streamer have a time scale to ensure maximum viewers and to compartmentalise set hours for people to watch. But with this i find this as the most potential to pay more and to more people as a whole.

Gambling or stake in games

This is by far the most risk filled method and should only be done if you feel comfortable putting your own capital at risk I personally do not do this but they are certain games not just in casinos where you can game against other players in skill to see who would win. or by other means thorough crypto casinos and gambling cash on slots and such. but as a long term method I would not recommend this, Short term is viable but only if a combination of the above methods so that the profit can impact the hit of the losses and also as more of an entertainment factor more then anything.

Final notes

In writing this I have tried all the methods above and have limited success on all fronts and while still actively trying these i will leave with these words, Always try and do this as more of a fun activity rather then a career, As if you love your work you will never work a day in your life And while gaming is my passion i only focus on having fun, the money is always a bonus but to answer the question is it viable, If you get lucky in one of these and end up on the top end of the spectrum then yes. But give it a few years and you will see a lot more crypto games be more viable for everyone to make a living

but I hope you all end up a bit richer then yesterday :)