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☆ I'm a 26-year-old software engineer making $75,000, and still dream of becoming a professional e-sports athlete. Here's how I balance work and my gaming endeavors
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Andy Collins, a 26-year-old software engineer from Chicago pursuing a professional esports career playing the first-person shooting game Valorant. Being a professional esports competitor wasn't the most well-known or traditional career path at the time. Valorant has only been out for four years, but its professional esports scene is rapidly growing in popularity. Even though I'm playing far fewer hours per day than before — I only spend around four hours after work each day playing other teams and strategizing for my weekly matches — I'm in my best-ever form. Are you a professional esports athlete and want to share your story?

Persons: —, Andy Collins, didn't, would've, Valorant, — you've, DarkZero, Valorant esports, I'm, wasn't, I've Organizations: Service, Business, Robert Morris University ., Valorant's Challengers League, North American, League, —, The Guard, Riot Games, DoorDash, Starbucks, Madison Locations: Chicago, United States, Austin, Valorant, mhall@businessinsider.com

The pay data includes salaries ranging from a data scientist position that offers $170,000 per year at Discord to a staff engineer role that earns $250,000 or more at Patreon. AdvertisementHere are the annual salaries for a job at FaZe Clan:Legal Counsel: $142,273 median starting range; from $133,308 to $194,437FaZe Clan did not respond to BI's request for comment. At LTK, a senior software engineer would make $130,000Courtesy of LTKLTK, formerly known as RewardStyle, is an affiliate-marketing and social-commerce platform used by influencers across Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. At Teachable, a level II senior software engineer would make $190,000Teachable is a platform where creators can build and sell online courses and coaching programs. Here are annual salary ranges for several jobs at Teachable:Data Analyst : $69,826 to $85,000: $69,826 to $85,000 Senior Software Engineer : $160,000 to $180,000: $160,000 to $180,000 Senior Software Engineer - Core : $150,000 to $170,000: $150,000 to $170,000 Senior Software Engineer II : $190,000: $190,000 Software Engineer: $125,000 to $135,000Teachable did not respond to BI's request for comment.

Persons: upstarts, we're, Justin Kenna, they've, ByteDance, Teachable, Konstantin Savusia, James Nord, Brandon Brown, Ryan Brown, Brian Mechem, Warby Parker, Grin, Amanda Perelli, Anthony, Alex Zaccaria, Nick Humphreys, Linktree's, Amber Venz, Baxter, Read, Sydney Bradley, economy's, Patreon, Chris Best, Jason Henry Substack Organizations: YouTube, Business, FaZe, Safety, Software, Security, Enterprise Security, FaZe Clan, Fohr, Inc, Grin Technologies, Facebook, Keli Network Inc, Business Affairs, Jellysmack, Linktree, Ops, RewardStyle Inc, Networks, Mighty Networks, Mighty Software, Engineering, Sydney, Sydney Bradley One, BI, Staff, Social, Data Engineering, Trust, Quality Assurance, Hotmart, & $ Locations: California, New York, Texas, FaZe, Fohr, Jellysmack, Karat, Linktree, LTK, Instagram, Dallas , Texas, Teachable

☆ Tencent’s Riot Games lays off 11% of staff globally, adding to job cuts in US tech sector
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Riot Games, the developer of hit video games like “League of Legends” and “Valorant,” is cutting 11% of staff around the world, becoming the latest tech company to downsize. In the first two weeks of 2024 alone, more than 5,500 layoffs were announced at Google, Amazon and other prominent tech employers. Riot relied on the game’s massive success for about a decade, leading to calls for the company to diversify its business. On Tuesday, China’s gaming regulator made headlines by removing draft rules from its website that had aimed to rein in spending in online video games. Shares of Tencent and Chinese rival NetEase each rose 4.6% and 6.5% in Hong Kong, respectively, on Tuesday following the news.

Persons: “, hadn’t, Dylan Jadeja, Twitch, ”, Marc Merrill, Jadeja, ” Tencent Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Riot, “, Google, Amazon, Tencent, CNN, “ League, National Press, Reuters Locations: Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Shenzhen, China, we’re

☆ Tencent's Riot Games division cuts 11% of staff to 'create focus'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Tencent's Riot Games unit said Monday it's eliminating 11% of its workforce, or about 530 jobs, and scaling back on its division that publishes games from small developers. Eric Shen will become Legends of Runeterra's executive producer, replacing Dave Guskin, accroding to a blog post from Guskin, who said he'll work on other Riot games. Tencent, based in China, invested in Riot Games in 2011 and became its outright owner four years later. In September, Tencent-backed Epic Games announced it was cutting 16% of its staff. Shares slid 12% in late December after China announced new rules designed to limit excessive gaming.

Persons: Ma, we've, Dylan Jadeja, that's, Nicolo Laurent, Eric Shen, Dave Guskin, Jadeja, Tencent's, Tencent Organizations: Tencent Holdings Ltd, Tencent's, Google, League of, Riot Games, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Sony, Epic Games, China Locations: Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao, Bay, China, Guskin, Forge, Los Angeles, Tencent

☆ Tencent logs robust revenue growth as games, advertising sales shine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Tencent sign is seen at the World Internet Conference (WIC) in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, China, October 20, 2019. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG, Nov 15 (Reuters) - China's Tencent Holdings (0700.HK) said third-quarter revenue climbed 10%, as its games business staged a robust recovery from a regulatory crackdown on the country's tech sector and online advertising sales surged. In August, the video games sector raked in combined revenue of 29.2 billion yuan, the highest level in at least 20 months, according to CNG, a government-backed industry data firm. Tencent's online advertising business reported a 20% jump in revenue thanks to strong demand for advertising in its video content. Net profit declined 9% to 36.1 billion yuan from a year ago when the company had a strong quarter after divesting stakes in portfolio companies such as Sea.

Persons: Aly, Tencent, Josh Ye, Miyoung Kim, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: World Internet Conference, REUTERS, Tencent Holdings, HK, Riot Games, Thomson Locations: Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, China, HONG KONG

That's why I'm spending Prime Day looking out for the gaming deals that are actually worth your money. I've been scouring Amazon Prime Big Deal Day's kitchen section to find Prime Day deals on kitchen items. Displays can vary a lot in performance, so figuring out which Prime Day deals on TVs are worth your money can be tricky. Some of the best Prime Day deals on printers include the Brother MFC-J1010DW, a budget multi-function unit that's less than $80. I'm also loving the Prime Day deals on Rivet furniture (read our Rivet review), including 15% off a leather sectional.

Persons: we've, I've, Zelda, I'm, — William Antonelli, that's, — Gabrielle Chase, Lily Alig, — Steven Cohen, Apple, There's, — John Lynch, Amazon Steven Cohen, James, — James Brains, Sam Crozier, — Sally Kaplan, Lash, haircare, — Kevin Webb, Les Shu, — Lauren Savoie, Anker, soundbar, wimpy, — Lisa Sabatini, Amazon Emma Kershaw, Sarah Saril, Rick Stella Organizations: Amazon Amazon, Hispanic Heritage, Amazon Antonio, Boas, Buyers, Sony WH, Amazon Apple, Apple Watches, Amazon, Samsung, Amazon The, Casper, Samsung's, Facebook, Amazon Dyson, Deal, Nvidia, Gaming, MFC, HP, Samsung Watch, Garmin, Apple, Amazon Amazon Prime, Kindle Locations: Western

And after sifting through tons of discounts, we're here with all of the best Prime Day deals on products we love. I've been scouring Amazon Prime Big Deal Day's kitchen section to find Prime Day deals on kitchen items. Displays can vary a lot in performance, so figuring out which Prime Day deals on TVs are worth your money can be tricky. I'm also loving the Prime Day deals on Rivet furniture (read our Rivet review), including 15% off a leather sectional. Be sure to check out our best Prime Day pets deals guide for all our top picks.

Persons: I'm, Lily Alig, I've, — Steven Cohen, Pei, — Samantha Crozier, we've, James, — James Brains, — William Antonelli, Sam Crozier, — Sally Kaplan, Rick Stella, — Lauren Savoie, Zelda, Anker, wimpy Organizations: Amazon Apple, Buyers, Sony WH, Amazon Amazon, Manhattan, Samsung, Amazon The, Casper, Amazon, Amazon Dyson, Amazon Amazon Prime, Garmin, Kindle, Apple Locations: Amazon's

☆ Musk's 4-second surprise appearance at a video game tournament was met with boos and the crowd chanting 'bring back Twitter'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A clip showing the crowd chanting "Bring back Twitter," has gone viral on X. That can't be from in here, surely," one of the commentators said, trying to bring the audience's focus back onto the game. AdvertisementAdvertisementElon Musk, the owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, made a surprise appearance on Saturday at the world championship final of esport Valorant and was immediately met with a chorus of boos and the crowd chanting, "Bring back Twitter." A clip of his appearance, shared on Saturday by X user Jake Lucky, has since racked up over 7 million views on the platform. That can't be from in here, surely," one of the commentators said, trying to bring the audience's focus back onto the game.

Persons: Elon Musk, esport Valorant, Jake Lucky, Musk –, Musk Organizations: Morning, Twitter Locations: Los Angeles, Indonesia

And according to a report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, they're especially popular among young adults — the same group that dominates PC gaming, according to Statista. However, these days, most MacBooks run on a single chip called either the M1 or M2, also known as Apple silicon, that holds both the CPU and GPU. Steam, the most popular PC gaming app, even has its own dedicated macOS catalog now. It features thousands of fantastic games, including:You also have access to a wealth of popular games outside of Steam, like Fortnite and The Sims 4. And don't forget cloud gaming services like Xbox Game Pass that let you stream popular games on your MacBook.

Persons: MacBooks, you'll, Whoopi Goldberg's, you'd, William Antonelli, I've, you've, aren't Organizations: Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, Apple, AMD, Intel, Nvidia, Mac, Forza, Xbox Cloud Locations: itch.io

How to play games on a ChromebookCompared to Macs and PCs, Chromebooks don't come with many apps pre-installed. But you can use two of your Chromebook's native apps — Google Chrome and the Google Play Store — to find and play loads of games. And similarly, the best way to play games on your Chromebook is through your browser. This is the best way to play new, high-end games on a Chromebook. Use the Google Play Store to play Android appsMost Chromebooks have a dedicated Google Play Store app which lets you download and play almost any Android app.

Persons: you'd, Chromebooks, William Antonelli, it's Organizations: GE, Google, Nvidia, Forza, Microsoft, Luna, Internet, Konami Digital Entertainment, Chromebooks, Linux, Steam Locations: Minecraft

And its flagship gaming brand, Republic of Gamers (ROG), offers a range of graphics cards, desktop towers, monitors, and more — including laptops, like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a gaming laptop that packs premium performance into a lightweight package. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 Gaming Laptop (GA402XY) The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2023) is a slim gaming laptop equipped with top-tier hardware. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14: SpecsAsus produces a variety of different G14 models, each with different specifications. The Zephyrus G14's bright screen, great performance, and portability make it a perfect match for gamers or creative professionals on the go.

Persons: I've, William Antonelli, It's, Fortnite, Price, I'd Organizations: Asus, Republic of Gamers, Nvidia, ASUS, AMD, McAfee, Bluetooth

Here's a stellar gaming laptop deal for anyone seeking portable gaming power on a budget. Best Buy has shaved $350 off an entry-level Dell G15. An ideal gaming laptop for newcomers or casual gamersDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Great Price Dell G15 Gaming Laptop (Ryzen 5, RTX 3050, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) Designed for gamers, the G15 has a large 15.6-inch screen for a more immersive on-the-go experience, and it's $350 off from Best Buy. The resulting $600 price is a steal considering the Ryzen 5 CPU and RTX 3050 GPU inside.

Persons: Price Organizations: AMD, Apex, Bluetooth Locations: CounterStrike

The Asus ROG Ally is a brand-new handheld gaming system that's set to hit Best Buy on June 13. On top of all that, the ROG Ally boasts more powerful hardware than even the Steam Deck. Asus plans on releasing two different versions: One with an AMD Z1 Extreme CPU that costs $700, and another with a weaker AMD Z1 chip for $600. Asus ROG Ally Gaming Handheld (Z1 Extreme) The Asus ROG Ally is a handheld gaming PC, running Windows 11. The ROG Ally is a mediocre way to use Windows 11Asus has built the ROG Ally to run Windows 11.

☆ Mihoyo's new video game tops download charts as big launches return to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The blockbuster debut bodes well for several other games due to launch this summer in the world's largest video games market. As of Thursday, the Shanghai-based company's strategy game "Honkai: Star Rail", where anime characters battle space monsters, had amassed 20 million downloads across smartphones and personal computers, miHoYo said. 1 on the iOS game download chart in more countries than any prior game," Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad said on Twitter. It is scheduled to test action game "Valorant" in May ahead of its official release this year. Tencent will invest in launching an esports league in China for the game.

☆ Discord users say Jack Teixeira only leaked documents to show off. That's a problem for the US military, which uses the app as a conduit for recruitment: reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old airman, was accused of leaking US intelligence documents on Discord. The US military uses Discord to recruit young people who are enthusiastic about video games. Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old junior-ranking US National Guard airman, was arrested on Thursday in connection to the leak of classified Pentagon documents. Some Republicans — most prominently Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — have hailed Teixeira as a national hero, but members of Thug Shaker Central said otherwise. A spokesperson for Discord and the Defense Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ Tencent, NetEase, Bilibili allowed to distribute foreign video games as China reopens market to global titles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —China has approved 27 foreign video games, including titles to be released by Tencent, NetEase and Bilibili, as it gradually reopens the world’s largest mobile entertainment market to international titles. It was the second batch of foreign games to be allowed to enter the Chinese market since December. Bilibili (BILI) will publish the localized version of “Uma Musume: Pretty Derby,” a hugely popular franchise from Japan’s Cygames. “We believe this implies a more supportive regulatory policy towards foreign titles that further support a healthier and normalized development of online gaming industry going forward,” said Citi analysts on Tuesday. But foreign games were still unable to access the Chinese market until December, when the regulator finally approved 45 foreign titles, including “Pokémon Unite” by Nintendo and “Valorant” by Riot Games.

☆ China’s video game makers come in from the cold as crackdown eases
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] The Tencent Games logo is seen on its game on a mobile phone in this illustration picture taken August 3, 2021. "We believe the approvals indicate a more benign regulatory environment for the China gaming industry," JP Morgan analysts wrote in a note on Wednesday. "With rich game supply, we are more positive on overall online game market growth during Chinese New Year, a traditional strong season for the China online game market." Whether the gaming market can return to form also depends on the recovery of the Chinese economy, which has been thumped by a surge in COVID infections. However, data shows China’s total gamer population remains stable, slipping just 0.33% in 2022 from 2021 to 664 million.

☆ China to import 45 foreign video games, grants multiple licenses to Tencent
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China's video games regulator granted publishing licenses to 45 foreign games for release in the country including seven South Korean games, further lifting rigid curbs that have hammered the industry for 18 months. South Korean gaming stocks, including Netmarble, NCSOFT, Krafton, Kakao Games and Devsisters jumped between 2% and over 17% in morning trade on Thursday, a day after Chinese authorities granted publishing licenses. Among the imported online games approved by the National Press and Publication Administration are five to be published by Tencent Holdings such as "Pokémon Unite" by Nintendo and "Valorant" by Riot Games, according to a list the regulator released. The regulator also approved 84 domestic games for the month of December, according to a separate list released on Wednesday. The approval of imported games effectively marks the end of Beijing's crackdown on the video games industry which began last August when regulators suspended the game approval process.

☆ China Approves Foreign Videogames in Latest Breather for Tech Giants
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Raffaele Huang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Imported videogames have been an important source of income for large Chinese game companies. SINGAPORE—China has resumed granting publishing approvals for foreign videogames, ending a halt stretching back to June 2021 and removing a source of uncertainty for the country’s once-flourishing videogame industry. China’s main videogame regulator, the National Press and Publication Administration, said Wednesday that it had approved 45 imported titles, including “Pokémon Unite,” a multiplayer battle arena game co-developed by China’s Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Japan’s The Pokémon Co., and Riot Games Inc.’s first-person shooter game “Valorant.”

☆ China to import 45 foreign video games, grants multiple licences to Tencent
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, Dec 29 (Reuters) - China's video games regulator granted publishing licences to 45 foreign games for release in the country，including seven South Korean games, further lifting rigid curbs that have hammered the industry for 18 months. The approval of imported games effectively marks the end of Beijing's crackdown on the video games industry which began last August when regulators suspended the game approval process. Unlike in most other countries, video games need approval from regulators before release in China, the world's largest gaming market. Other imported games approved include CD Projekt's (CDR.WA) "Gwent: The Witcher Card Game" and Klei Entertainment's "Don't Starve". China approved 76 imported games in 2021 and 456 in 2017.

To see how much jobs in the creator economy pay, Insider analyzed salary data from 142 work-visa applications filed with the US government and decided on between October 2020 and June 2022. The pay data includes salaries ranging from a data scientist position that offers $170,000 per year at Discord to a staff engineer role that earns $250,000 or more at Patreon. At Cameo, a principal software engineer would make $230,000Steven Galanis, CEO of Cameo. Senior Manager, DevOps : $140,000: $140,000 Statistician: $116,979 to $170,000 (Spotter said it internally calls this position "Data Analyst.") At Teachable, a senior software engineer would make $150,000Teachable is a platform where creators can build and sell online courses and coaching programs.

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