playing to win
Meet the gamer girls who earn six figures from people watching them play video games online
Some of the top live streaming girls have revealed the darker side to the industry
THEY earn millions without leaving their couches and have a cult following of thousands who tune in to watch them online.
Meet the gamer girls who have the “dream job” streaming themselves playing video games whenever they wish – but is it as great as it seems?
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A number of the girls have revealed exactly what it is like in the industry, from the high amounts earned from private donations to online harassment they receive.
One of the girls featured in the fascinating segment is Australian gamer Chelsea - or XMINKS as she is known online.
Chelsea earns a whopping six figures from the comfort of her couch and has over 350,000 followers who watch her stream on platform Twitch.tv.
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The former pharmacist revealed she earns her jaw-dropping income from online subscriptions, ad revenue and sponsorships – a figure staggeringly larger than her previous job.
She said: “People could make between $1,000 ... There's people that earn millions.
“They [viewers] enjoy watching you, your personality, how you interact with them. It's more hanging out with them rather than watching you play.”
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She said that her income does fluctuate each month, but is still incomparable to her previous job that she started getting a pharmacy degree from university.
One female gamer who revealed the darker side of the industry, however, is Kathleen, who plays games under the name of LOSERFRUIT.
Thanks to the anonymous element of the industry, she often has people giving her abuse, calling her things like an “attention-seeking whore” and that "you're not good, because you're a girl".
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She said: “They would say like weird sexy things like you have a nice body, I’d like to see you with your clothes off.
“I’ve had friends that have been stalked at events, but that’s the one per cent if that.”
Kathleen revealed that not all of her viewers are so negative, and that she has earned tips as large as $5,000 a time from online admirers.
She admitted: “This is a very unique opportunity that we have that people before us did not necessarily have.
“This industry is booming and it's out of control.”
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Last year a popular female video gamer provoked outrage — after flashing her vagina "accidentally" during a live broadcast.
Lea May was banned from website Twitch after a string of complaints about the Californian’s risqué blooper.
In April a gamer girl gave fans an unexpected eyeful when she suffered an awkward wardrobe malfunction during a live stream performance.
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