Video gaming has become a viable career choice

The October issue of ESPN Magazine features a gamer for the first time. Adults should take note and use it as a conversation starter with their own aspiring gamers. Video games can be a viable career path.

Gaming is a big and growing industry. The Business Times recently cited figures showing that viewership for competitive videogaming events, such as the League of Legends World Championship final game, surpassed traditional sporting events, such as the NBA Finals. They aren’t quite at Super Bowl levels yet but there is no reason to think they won’t get there.

Earlier this month, Sportsnet.ca reported that former Canadian Olympic Committee CEO Chris Overholt has decided to head up the new Toronto Overwatch League franchise. His decision was based on his assessment of the potential of the gaming industry and its fans.

The report quoted Overholt explaining, “The kids who play these games and the young people who enjoy them the way they do, they see the skills the same way as DeMar DeRozan grabbing a defensive rebound, streaking down the court and slamming the ball over two guys … kids who watch and respect the players, they see the skills as the same.”

Last fall, the Financial Post cited data from the Entertainment Software Association of Canada indicating “game companies contribute $3.7 billion to our country’s GDP annually, an increase from the $3 billion in 2015

The gamer on the cover of ESPN Magazine is known as Tyler “Ninja” Blevins. I’d never heard of him but when I mentioned the article to my video-game-playing 16-yearold, there was instant name recognition. The article that accompanies the cover describes the 27year-old’s career path and, more importantly, his typical day.

The story reports that “Blevins compares himself to the owner of a small business, and the only product is Ninja. He weighs every decision to leave his computer — to travel to a celebrity-heavy event like the Pro-Am in Los Angeles or even to visit family — against the financial repercussions.”

The article goes into depth. Blevins has the second-highest number of Fortnite wins, earns an estimated $300,000 per month and has 3.29 million Twitter followers. He also live streams his games about 12 hours per day, six or seven days a week. His only vacation in the past eight years was his honeymoon. Jess, his wife, acts as his manager. He worries he may have peaked. Just as most basketball players will not be the next DeMar DeRozan, most video-gamers will not be the next Ninja. However, playing both sports can help develop transferable skills. There are also myriad related employment opportunities in the larger industry. Ninja’s story is an opportunity for parents, teachers and other adults skeptical of video games to look at them from a different perspective.

And start a conversation.

Catherine Little is a Toronto-based educator, consultant and writer.