Confessions of a professional gamer
Find out how they got started and what it's really like to get paid to play
GR: It seems like professional gaming is a young person's sport. What do you think? Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Laurent Keoula: In ten years, I hope to be working in some big company that has me traveling to different places.
Mike Stanowski: That's impossible to plan. But if I had to take an educated guess based on the present, I'll be a part-time professional poker player, which most my riches will come from, a personal trainer (big passion of mine), and I'm sure I'll play games for recreation. Besides that, I'm just gonna roll with the punches and do what I can to control my fate.
Yazan Ammari: In ten years, I see myself either finding a career, which branched off my gaming or a job in marketing.
Moe Assad: Gaming is for all ages, whether you're old or young. As you can see from CGS, the ages vary from 18-50. In ten years, I hope to have gaming as part of my life, but with a more realistic career because I can't be a pro gamer forever.
Garett Bambrough: You can say that if you want. But I know a lot of people who play that are extremely older...In ten years, this profession can go anywhere and I can only hope it goes up because it brings another form of competition to my life, which I so desperately need since I am really competitive. So far, everything has been going great and I only expect great things in the future.
Chad Neil: I definitely think that professional gaming is something that many young people can do. Being a pro gamer at my age is very convenient for me. It lets me go to college and not worry about having to get a job. Plus it's loads of fun. I see myself getting a normal job in a few years. But for now, gaming is what I'm focusing on.
Chris Harris: I would have to agree, seeing that you can't live off of the salary. In ten years though, I'll be done with college, living on my own and will hopefully have a family, because I'll be 34 in ten years.
Vanessa Arteaga: I think it's anyone's sport. Really, last year we had adults in their 40s and 50s competing. I don't have a set plan, but I guess we'll see in ten years.
Alessandro Avallone: I believe gaming opens a lot of doors in life and if you do your best you can end up doing anything you really want. I've traveled the world since I was 14 and have learned so many things. I would never regret any of my decisions... I'm planning to continue playing for a few years more. On the side, I have my business things going on and a lot of other stuff. We'll see what life is holding for me in the future.
Kevin Uribe: I seriously have no clue. One year ago, I had no clue that I was going to become a pro gamer and never even thought about it. Ten years is far away and I will be 33. I'm hoping to use my marketing degree in something related to videogames. It's not necessarily true that pro gaming is a young person's sport, because there are many people out there in their 30s competing.
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Aug 22, 2008
They shouldn't exist, but they do - avoid these gamers at all costs
Real employees tell their real stories - the good, the bad and the unbelievably horrific