Switched has a new home! Huffpost Tech.

Click here to visit the new home of Switched!

Hot on HuffPost Tech:

See More Stories
AOL Tech

Pro Video Gamers Losing Work, Too

by Tim Stevens on April 4, 2009 at 09:30 AM

Professional Gamers Losing WorkAs video gaming becomes more and more popular, there is a belief among many (or at least a hope) that elite gamers will soon enjoy a status like that of elite athletes -- in other words, get paid millions of dollars and be adored by hordes of fans. A few years ago, when many professional gaming leagues were forming, it looked like that promise was coming to pass. But, as the economy collapsed, so too collapsed most of those leagues, leaving many former professional gamers unemployed.

Leagues like the Championship Gaming Series (CGS) quickly busted out into public attention, but then folded just as quickly, once the economy tumbled. While some leagues survive, only one of them, Major League Gaming, continues on with significant advertising and coverage.

So hundreds of formerly professional gamers, who would have earned solid salaries and cash prizes for victories in competitions, have had to return to work. Highlighted in a recent New York Times article, Emmanuel Rodriguez is a former CGS competitor who, as a "franchise player," had earned a $30,000 base salary. He has now been forced to return to his job at Sam's Club. Is this a sad sign of the current state of the economy? Or had there just been too many optimistic gamers trying to make a buck? [From: The New York Times]

Related Links:

Tags: business, cgs, championship gaming series, ChampionshipGamingSeries, major league gaming, MajorLeagueGaming, mlg, recession, top, video games, video gaming, VideoGames, VideoGaming, workplace

Add your comments

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.

To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br /> tags.

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular