As video games evolve, more businesses are evaluating the valuable skill set that video games provide to a business, as well as how these abilities might improve employee productivity and profitability.

While your parents may have told you that video games would get you nowhere in life, it turns out that video games teach a wide range of abilities, from teamwork to interpreting complex sets of instructions, which are highly coveted by business owners. Whether you’re playing games to pass the time or to get a competitive advantage over your pals, you’re developing abilities that businesses are increasingly recognizing as essential to their operations.

So, here are ten perks and useful abilities gained from playing video games that might help you become a better employee.

1. Risk-Taking

Though it may not be a real-life danger, playing a modern video game raises the stakes by putting your avatar and progress at risk from in-game deaths or setbacks. Gamers quickly learn how to navigate unfamiliar territories and scenarios to tackle the unknown and get themselves or their team out of precarious situations safely, giving them the ability to tackle risks and the unknown in life as well.

While recklessness isn’t desirable, having calculated, strategic risk-takers on a workplace team can take your business to new places.

2. Patience and Perseverance

If you’ve ever played the Water Temple level on N64’s Ocarina of Time, then you know all about the importance of patience.

Patience and perseverance are rare qualities that help people succeed both professionally and personally. Mentally strong people are patient and understand how to use these skills to handle challenging situations and wait for success to come, which translates to a team member who’s willing to work their way through training and the ranks to become a vital asset to your business.

3. Problem-Solving

Video games often include puzzle challenges and other obstacles that require players to alter their perceptions or approaches to find successful solutions. I still remember as a child when I figured out, in the Super Mario level Tick Tock Clock, the time in which you entered the level determined the speed of the internal clock mechanisms.

These planning, adaptability, and experimentation skills are honed over time and contribute to the business environment when handling crisis situations, work challenges, and conflicts, giving gamers the ability to find creative solutions with limited resources.

4. Strategizing

Plenty of video games require strategy and strategic approaches in order to progress in the game and complete a series of steps to get to the next level or prize. Games like Civilization and StarCraft have become extremely popular due to the complex planning and strategy required.

Strategic thinkers help in the business world as well since much of business success relies on solid strategies to adapt to the challenges of a changing business landscape.

5. Concentration

The scenarios in video games require the full concentration of the player to succeed. Think about games like Guitar Hero or Rock Band which require complete concentration in order to score well.

Distractions, such as calls, texts, or social media, are tuned out in favor of devoting attention to the task at hand. In a business environment, these distractions can hurt productivity and make employees less efficient, so having a player used to concentrating fully on their work is a valuable asset to profitability.

6. Leadership

In multiplayer video games, players often have teams with designated leaders to determine their strategies and approaches. It’s up to the team leader to set up times, communicate with other players, develop strategies, identify strengths and weaknesses within the team, keep morale up, and keep other players focused on the task at hand.

These skills are honed over time and in working with multiple teams in different gaming environments and scenarios. In business, these are the same leadership skills that managers, directors, and team leaders use to motivate their teams and keep everyone working together toward the business goals.

7. Social Skills

Multiplayer video games require interactions between players and remote teamwork via webcam, Bluetooth headset, and social media. In order to stay within a team, players need to develop social skills like punctuality, civility, good sportsmanship, and a healthy sense of competition to interact with other players in a way that’s enjoyable.

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In a business environment, these skills make for employees who are willing and able to work as part of a team successfully, show up on time, collaborate, encourage others, and contribute ideas and strategies openly to come up with solutions to business problems.

8. Critical Thinking

All decisions in a video game have risks and consequences, so skilled gamers understand how to analyze their possible choices and use their best judgment for successful missions and campaigns. In many cases, these decisions must be made in a split second, so gamers quickly develop analytical skills in high-pressure situations and remain calm in stressful situations.

When it comes to business, panicked decision-making in business-critical situations can be devastating, so it’s important to have level-headed, fast decision-makers on your team to analyze the current information and derive insights for the next steps to solve a problem.

9. Pattern Recognition

From the earliest video games, a key component to progressing and winning the game has been finding patterns and exploiting them. This usually involves analyzing large amounts of data and scenarios to find underlying causes and predicting the future within the game. The most obvious examples are in rhythm-action games like Just Dance.

In the modern business world, data-driven decision-making requires analyzing data, identifying patterns in data, and making predictions to come up with solutions to problems or get ahead of the competition.

10. Multi-Tasking

Video games used to be so simple. There was a ball and you needed to hit it. There was a finish line and you needed to be the first to cross it. Of course, the simplicity of old games had a lot to due with the technology they were working with. But as game technology advanced, the tasks became more complex.

Take the wildly popular Grand Theft Auto games. Now, players have to race to a specific location in a set amount of time while fighting off antagonists, navigating crowded streets, and making a phone call. It’s a lot of stuff all at once (which I think is the GTA motto).

The intensive situational awareness and management required when playing these kind of games help improve the player’s ability to juggle several tasks while blocking out distractions. In business, the ability to effectively multi-task can make you more productive and improve your performance.

How to Become a Professional Gamer

Professional gaming is a thriving sector in terms of popularity and money. This relatively new occupation compensates individuals for playing online video games. Learning how to become a professional gamer can help you fulfill your hobby and convert it into a lifelong job.

Learning how to become a professional gamer requires a great deal of devotion and hard work. This employment can provide you with more flexible hours, the ability to work from home, and the opportunity to pursue your interest. Here are seven simple actions you may take to pursue this amazing career.

1. Choose your game or niche

With numerous choices in online gaming, choose the game you’re most passionate about and ensure the game you’ve chosen has earnings potential. You can research which games have tournaments, leagues, and sponsors, and practise as much as you can. Because professional gaming is very competitive, practice is crucial to developing your skills. Below are other considerations:

• Choosing your gaming platform
• Determining the genre of gaming you want to compete in professionally
• Choosing to compete or entertain other gamers by streaming your games online

2. Find motivation

Becoming a professional in any industry requires significant routine practice. To maintain this momentum over a long period entails motivation. As gaming’s financial rewards are not steady or guaranteed, motivations for becoming a professional gamer can be more intrinsic. These intrinsic motivations can include becoming a professional gamer for the simple love of the game, or the enjoyment of being a part of the gaming community. You may also motivate yourself by learning and growing your skills to become a better gamer.

3. Invest in equipment

Investing in high-quality gaming equipment is fundamental to becoming a professional. Having professional gaming equipment can also help to motivate you to practise more, and can support you in developing your skills. Professional gaming accessories can include:

• A precise and high-quality gaming mouse
• A high-performing gaming computer
• A comfortable gaming chair for long hours
• A high-resolution wide-screen monitor with a high refresh rate
• A high-quality gaming headset with a built-in microphone

4. Join the gaming community

Joining the gaming community is much easier than other types of industries, as you can usually join online and contribute at no cost. The gaming community involves forums, message boards, social media channels, and gaming leagues. You can begin by messaging other users, commenting on different platforms, taking part in gaming events, and spending time with online with other gamers. Taking part in the gaming community can not only help motivate you but also help you learn how to play professionally.

5. Practise

By joining gaming leagues and other online gaming communities, you can achieve substantial practice with seasoned players. Practising as much as you can until you gain muscle memory is key, whereby your playing can become instinctual. Start with the specific maneuvers of the game and then practise with playing with others. You can also practise by watching others play and observing their strategies and tactics. Watching games you have previously taken part in is another ideal method to observe what you’re doing correctly and where you require more practice.

6. Start competing

Begin your competitive journey by playing in more novice tournaments, such as online public games. As you develop your skills and become a better gamer, try entering harder and more professional competitions. The more competitions you can win, the more likely you are to build a good reputation within the gaming community. You can then start entering more exclusive competitions, such as online leagues, and eventually advance to professional tournaments.

7. Join a team

Once you’ve earned a reputation in the field, you can then attract a team of equally serious gamers. If a team hasn’t contacted you, you can always use online forums or platforms to recruit a team. Teams help members learn from each other and allow you to compete in team competitions. Each team member can find their specific role within their team by showcasing their individual talents. With each member specializing in a certain aspect of the game, the team can become more competitive and win tournaments.

8. Compete professionally

Joining a team allows you to compete in seasonal competitions and gives you the training to compete professionally. If your team can win these competitions, you can then qualify for live competitions. These tournaments are where people from around the world compete. The cash prizes at these events can be as high as a million dollars or more. Competing professionally also means living the lifestyle of a professional by eating healthy, and ensuring you maintain a healthy off-screen and on-screen balance.

9. Build an online profile

As you earn more fans and mentions, create an online profile on popular social media networks to connect with an audience. Here you can update your fans on when you’re streaming your next game and interact with fans and other players directly. Ensure you update your profiles regularly and post engaging content that you think your followers may find interesting. You can also share content from other users and engage with their content so you can help build your online presence.

10. Get sponsored

Being sponsored helps you gain a steady income, as professional gaming is most lucrative when you’re winning competitions. Sponsors are likely to contact you first, but you can also try researching which companies may be interested in sponsoring you and contacting them proactively. Sponsorships typically involve you wearing or using their branded products for a fee, or they may give you free products to promote. The sponsors may ask you to mention their products while gaming and include links to their products in feeds as well. The more viewers and followers you gain, the more lucrative your sponsorship can be.