It pays to be a gaming playmate
Mobile applications are now allowing gaming enthusiasts to earn money by playing online games with novice players during staycations as the popularity of gaming companion services and esports surge in China.
Lin Xiaolan, 29, an IT project management executive in Dalian, Liaoning province, is a part-time skill-sharer on the Bixin platform, which mainly offers gaming companion services for those who desire higher rankings in online games or want more satisfying gaming.
Lin usually charges about 26 yuan ($3.80) for 30 minutes to play Tencent’s popular tactical shooting game Game forPeace with strangers. The part-time job offers him income of between 3,000 yuan and 5,100 yuan a month, he said.
“I’ve been doing this parttime job on Bixin since February, when I was stuck at home because of COVID-19. I’m now back at my regular job but I’d like to make more money playing my favorite games. The Bixin option allows me to make good money and meet various people while honing my communications skills.”
Lin said the game companion market is a huge “blue sea” with strong potential, but it may take some time for the public to gain a better understanding of the industry. “Young people don’t mind spending money on their hobbies, and the booming esports sector will be able to attract more players in the future.”
Gaming companions are gaining popularity among young Chinese, with a wide range of apps offering the services online. Even livestreaming platforms such as Huya and Douyu have caught on to the new opportunities and are gearing up to expand their game companion business.
Bixin, which has more than 40 million users, most of whom are aged between 18 and 30. Most of its paid users live in first- and second-tier cities, said Du Mingjiang, vicepresident of the company.
The platform had more than 5 million skill-sharers by the end of June, Du said. Full-time skill-sharers can usually earn more than 7,000 yuan a month, while parttime sharers may earn an average of nearly 3,000 yuan a month.
Kiko Wang, who used to be a part-time skill-sharer on Bixin, quit her job with a company that is part of Hunan Broadcasting System last year and became a full-time skill-sharer on Bixin.
“I have got several clients. I spend about four to five hours a day playing games with them and earn an average of about 7,000 yuan to 8,000 yuan a month, which is more than what I earned in my previous job.”
However, Wang, 27, is not content with the current situation and yearns for a longer career plan in which she can combine her skills in editing videos, communication and playing games.
“I mainly cater to clients’ strong demand for companionship during games, and I have been working hard to learn catchphrases and internet slang to offer them better gaming experiences. I’ll continue to collect interesting stories during my work and then make short videos for the public.”
In fact, Wang’s career path is reflected in Bixin’s larger goal to create more job opportunities and career options for master players. It has worked with short video platforms, livestreaming platforms, gaming firms and even esports clubs to offer various job options, such as being online celebrities and professional esports players. It is also among the organizers of a certification test for esports trainers, guided by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
Because of COVID-19 people have been stuck at home seeking entertainment to kill time, which has spurred growth in the gaming industry.
According to a report issued by Tencent Cloud and Gamma Data Corp, the gaming sector is expected to generate more than 270 billion yuan in revenue this year, 17% more than last year. Mobile games are expected to generate 200 billion yuan of this year’s revenue, 30% more than last year.
According to the report, social needs are the main demand of people playing games. More than 90% of the gamers tend to interact with other players in a game, and 52% of gamers learn about a new game through friends and player recommendations, the report said.
Partnering with individual players is a key way for players to meet their social needs, it said, and 68% of the top 50 mobile games require gamers to be in groups.
Liu Wei, an analyst with the market research company iResearch, said game companions not only help lower skill barriers for novice players, but also keep gamers company and offer more pleasurable gaming.
“It will give a strong boost to the development of the gaming industry,” Liu said.
“Young people don’t mind spending money on their hobbies, and the booming esports sector will be able to attract more players in the future.” LIN XIAOLAN