I'll start the ball rolling.
As I see it, streamers don't have a viable career in playing video games. Not internationally and certainly not in Malaysia. 3 main reasons - Stiff Competition, Lack of source of income and Lack of Support.
Who are streamers? Streamers are people who play video games and live stream on platforms, where some do it full time and earn a living, while some treat it as a hobby. For example, a banker John plays PUBG in his free time and live streams himself playing the game is a streamer. Professional gamer Jane plays Dota2 daily and live streams herself playing is also a streamer.
Firstly, competition is stiff. Too many gamers are playing the same game, where gamers range from amateurs to professionals. Too many streamers around the internet too. Streamers have FB, Twitch, YouTube, etc as their potential platforms for streaming. Streaming is easy but standing out is tough. If amateur John streams his game, his video's number of views would definitely lose to Jane who's a professional. People want to see the best gameplay to be entertained. They want to improve their game by learning from them. Without attractive looks, fun personality or the ability to know what content viewers want, it is extremely difficult to differentiate oneself from other streamers to earn decent income from streaming.
Although esports has created new jobs, such as game commentators and professional gamers (like football commentators and professional footballers), esports is still in its infancy and demand for gamers as employees is not as great as traditional employees such as office workers. Despite Razer investing $2.4M into Malaysia's esports arena, the reality is that not many individuals or organisations are willing to fund gamers or pay gamers to compete in competitions. I can only think of AirAsia's own esports team as potential employers. The main question is, who is going to pay you for streaming you playing games? If one decides to strike out on his own, he would need to be truly outstanding, be it gaming skills, knowing how to secure sponsors, and creating content which would be popular among viewers to keep coming back for more. It really is not easy to be successful in being a streamer.
Lack of support means lack of financial backing and the lack of people supporting you trying to make a career out of streaming. Without much money, you won't be able to buy the best gaming peripherals and virtual equipment, which lowers your gaming efficiency. Companies would only sponsor streamers with huge subscriber base, which means more viewers would see their products being publicised by the streamer. Also, the lack of support from friends and family will dampen your spirits in pursuing your dream of being a full-time streamer.
I could be wrong though. Maybe, just maybe, the esports industry would grow at a tremendous pace that even hardware stores would need to collaborate with streamers to expand their business.
However, if one discovers that he or she cannot succeed in being a streamer, he/she could try exploring other careers within the esports industry before giving up. Well, you only live once and living someone else's life has little meaning.
P.S. - Discussions on this topic is welcomed.
Surviving on income which is based on tipping from other people is surely not an easy task. I don't believe that the competition is stiff in Malaysia .. its just NEW .... the industry is exceptionally new and streamers from other countries seems to be more popular is because they put in the efforts way way way back.
Most of these "streamers" started way back and have work their way up. If you want to obtain a decent income from streaming ... normally it will take at least a few months before earning at least $1 . Lucky with STEEM , there are now alternatives and is something which may disrupt the only gaming / streaming world. Hopefully
Point taken. Not too long ago no one wanted to be Uber/Grab drivers but now, some are even contemplating quitting their daily jobs to switch. Probably the esports arena is still slowly taking off & would revolutionise the industry.