You really don't need such high tech stuff to just have fun on a videogame. My system currently costs about $300 let's say, it's a 8 year old system and it barely just gets the job done. But for a proper "high-tech" experience and a new system, a $1000 US dollars should be enough right now.
If we're talking normal videogames, mostly story based or offline, they don't require the latest tech. But if it's competitive, especially the FPS category, then every bit of the latest tech adds up and helps to compete.
I've been playing competitive FPS for almost 4 years now. I've ranked up high in my country many, many times, Top 1, Top 3s, also globally on some categories. I've made a decent amount of "moolah" as well. Sadly, it's quite tough to shine in the competitive gaming sector in the South Asian region. Almost no support, sponsors or investors, unstable internet connections, not having proper access to the latest tech.
You have to be really, really good to stand out and to just make a few bucks. Only the international tournaments offer a proper amount as prize money, but those happen once or twice a year. On top of that, we have to face players who have better hardware and internet connections, and that means we end up losing most of our head to head challenges against them.
In the end, it's our love, passion and competitiveness that keeps us going, helps us stay on that grind mindset.
Also, the friends and mates we play with, the online playground is like a hangout spot for many of us. I've met a ton of people just from playing games online, and many of them right now are nothing less than family to me.
As a professional gamer how does that fit in with your job, or don't you have one? Is gaming your job?
Nah, gaming isn't my job, only a few have "made it" here, but even that came with a price.
One day maybe I'll get there, as a content creator, because the competitiveness is slowly dying out. Currently the gaming scene here doesn't promise you much either, but we are getting there though, somewhere at least.
And this hobby of mine fits well with my routine and life I'd say. All the office work is dealt with by the evening, then I sit down and browse on PeakD or do a little reading. Nowadays it starts off a bit late, after dinner there's 2 to 3 hours of a gaming session with the teammates or friends. Some nights we play some nights we don't, but we still somehow maintain our form and try to improve.
Seems like professional gaming isn't a very good target to aim at if it's so rarely attained.
For most of the countries around here it's tough, because of a weak structure, or no structure at all in some places. But there many countries that have that structure set, and good players are actually making really good money.
E-sports and the gaming industry is currently bigger than the movie and music industry combined. Sadly, some countries don't really promote it properly, because they don't understand it.
Yeah, I know about the e-sports thing but if ire it, I prefer the real thing. It's all personal choice though. There's a place for computers, but I don't think they should replace the real world which seems to be the way it's heading for many.
It's not replacing the real world any time soon. Even a professional top ranked player gets enough time to head out and get some fresh air, invest time in physical sports and all the other stuff the world has to offer.
But like you said, it's all about personal choice. Because I do know some players who spend all their free time playing videogames or just sitting in front of a TV/PC. That's just a bit too much I'd say.
I hope everyone stays in their basement in the dark playing video games and covered in cheetos crumbs all the time...That'll leave the real world just for me!