How To Make Money Online Playing Video Games In 2020

You already spend hours a week on video games. The question is not whether the gaming industry makes money. It is whether you are getting any of it. In 2017, the gaming industry was worth over eighteen billion dollars in the United States alone, and it has only grown since then. People are earning full-time incomes streaming, reviewing, and building content around the exact games you already play. This post breaks down every path Alston covers so you can start taking your slice of that market right now.

This is not about going pro in esports or earning a Division 1 gaming scholarship, although those are now real options at accredited universities. This is about repeatable, proven income methods that regular gamers and even people who are only casually interested in the space are using to build real online income. You do not need to be the best player in the world. You need to serve a specific group of people who are interested in gaming better than anyone else in your corner of the niche does right now.

What You’ll Walk Out With

Why the gaming niche is one of the most open entry points in the “Big 4” of online income
The exact subscriber and watch-hour thresholds for YouTube and Twitch monetization
How sponsorships work and how an email list can multiply what brands are willing to pay you
The affiliate marketing products a gaming audience is already spending money on
How to build an email list from day one using the lead magnet and autoresponder model
The alphabet soup keyword research technique for finding content people are actively searching for
How to sell digital and physical products without holding inventory
Not sure which income stream fits your specific situation? finder.platformproof.com will give you a personalized recommendation in under two minutes.

Why Gaming Is One of the Best Niches to Start In

When it comes to building income online, there are four major categories that consistently produce results: health, wealth, relationships, and technology. Video games fall squarely into technology, which means the audience, the products, and the spending are already there waiting for you to tap into them.

As Alston points out in the video, the gaming industry was worth over eighteen billion dollars in the US alone as of 2017. You can now earn a college degree in gaming. There are Division 1 scholarships in esports at accredited universities. This is not a fringe hobby anymore. It is a mainstream industry with a massive, passionate audience that spends real money on gear, guides, coaching, and content. That spending is your opportunity.

Whether you are a dedicated gamer or someone who is just casually interested in the space, there are multiple income streams available to you. Even having a friend or family member who games can give you enough of a foothold to start creating useful content for that audience. You do not need deep expertise. You need to serve a specific group of people better than anyone else currently does in your specific corner of the niche.

Method 1: Ad Revenue From YouTube and Twitch

The entry-level income path most people think of first is ad revenue, and it is genuinely one of the lowest-resistance ways to start. On YouTube, you need to reach 4,000 watch hours and 1,000 subscribers before you qualify for the YouTube Partner Program. Once you hit those thresholds, YouTube places ads on your videos and you earn a share of the revenue every time someone watches them.

Twitch has its own affiliate and partner programs with similar structures. You stream games, people watch, ads run, and you earn. The core task is building an audience large enough to generate meaningful watch time, but the mechanics themselves are simple. Once you are monetized, you are literally getting paid to play games while people watch you do it.

Ad revenue is the path of least resistance for most people in the early stages. It does not require a product, an email list, or a deal with a brand. You need content and an audience. The caveat is that ad rates in gaming can vary widely depending on your audience, the games you cover, and the time of year. Most serious creators treat ad revenue as one layer of income rather than the whole structure, combining it with the methods below to build something more stable over time.

Method 2: Sponsorships

Once you have an audience, brands will start reaching out. This is called a sponsorship, and it is the second income stream Alston covers. The way it works: a company reaches out, offers to pay you to feature their product in your content, and you include a brief mention. A brand like Mountain Dew, a gaming chair company, or a peripheral maker might say something like: “Hey, we want to sponsor some of your content.” Your job is to say something along the lines of “This video is brought to you by Mountain Dew. It tastes great. Try it out.” The brand pays you for the exposure to your audience.

Sponsorship rates depend on your reach and your audience’s engagement. A creator with 10,000 subscribers who has a highly engaged fanbase can often command more than a creator with 100,000 passive followers. Brands care about whether your audience actually pays attention and takes action, not just raw numbers.

Here is the key point Alston makes that most people overlook: if you have an email list, you can negotiate significantly higher sponsorship rates. A brand that initially offers you $100 to mention them in five videos might be willing to pay $500 or even $1,000 when they realize you also have direct email access to 10,000 engaged subscribers. Your email list is a bargaining tool. Those are real people who opted in specifically because they are interested in what you have to say, which is exactly what advertisers want to reach. Building the list from early on sets you up to command much better terms when sponsorship conversations start happening.

Method 3: Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is Alston’s stated favorite method, and it is easy to see why. You recommend a product. Someone buys it through your link. You earn a commission. No inventory, no shipping, no customer service. Just a link in a video description or a mention in your content, and the transaction happens in the background.

The gaming niche is exceptionally well-suited for affiliate marketing because gamers buy a lot of gear. Think through what a serious gamer actually needs: a quality microphone for streaming, a webcam, a gaming chair, a desk, a specific monitor, a TV or TV stand, computer components like video cards and hard drives, gaming headsets, controllers, and lighting for their setup. Every single one of those products can be linked through Amazon Associates or other affiliate programs. Every time a viewer clicks your link and completes a purchase, you earn a percentage of that sale.

If you are a PlayStation player, drop affiliate links to the exact controller, headset, and display you use in the description of every relevant video. If you do PC gaming content, link the components that went into your build. If you stream, link your microphone and camera setup. Your audience is already planning to buy this gear. Your recommendation ensures the sale goes through your link rather than through a random Google search with no commission attached to it.

Affiliate marketing also compounds over time. A walkthrough video you post today can generate clicks and commissions six months from now. A gear review you write once can earn money for years if it ranks in search. That compounding is what makes this the “passive” part of the income mix. You do the work once and the content keeps working after you have moved on to creating the next thing.

Method 4: Email Marketing

Email marketing is the method Alston recommends starting immediately, even before you have a significant following. He specifically says: if you have ten subscribers, start building your email list right now. The reason is straightforward. Every platform you build on can be taken away. YouTube channels get shut down. Twitch accounts get suspended. Algorithms change overnight and cut your reach. But your email list belongs to you and travels with you wherever you go. If your YouTube channel disappeared tomorrow, you could email your list and tell them where to find you next. Without an email list, you have no way to take your audience with you.

The email marketing setup that Alston describes has three components: a landing page, a lead magnet, and an autoresponder.

The landing page is a simple page with one job: get visitors to enter their email address in exchange for something specific. It should be short and focused. An example from the video: “Enter your email to get my step-by-step guide on how to beat the Final Fantasy 7 final boss in under 10 minutes.” That is the entire page. One promise, one input box, one button. Alston recommends ClickFunnels for building landing pages, which offers a two-week free trial so you can get the system set up before committing to the monthly cost.

The lead magnet is what you deliver in exchange for that email address. It could be a PDF guide, a video walkthrough, a cheat sheet, a gear setup list, or a strategy breakdown for a specific game or challenge. The more specific the lead magnet, the better it converts. “How I beat the final boss in Final Fantasy 7 in under 10 minutes” will pull in far more opt-ins than a generic “gaming tips guide” because the viewer knows exactly what they are getting and they already want it.

The autoresponder is the system that sends emails automatically once someone joins your list. In the video, Alston describes running an autoresponder that delivers 30 emails over 45 days. The moment someone opts in, they start at day zero and receive those emails in sequence, one by one, on complete autopilot. You set this up once and it runs forever. Every new subscriber who joins six months from now gets the same full sequence starting from the beginning, so you are constantly delivering value and building the relationship in the background while you focus on creating new content.

Beyond the automated sequence, you can send one-off emails called broadcasts. These work well for announcing that you are about to go live, sharing a new video, or letting your list know about a product recommendation. Direct email access to your audience means your live streams and new uploads get an immediate boost from people who already trust you, rather than waiting for an algorithm to decide whether to surface your content to your own subscribers.

In practical terms: add a link to your landing page in the description of every video. Mention the lead magnet inside the video itself. “Click the link in the description to get my walkthrough on how to beat the final boss step by step.” The people who care enough to click are the audience members you most want on your email list.

Not sure whether to start with affiliate marketing, email list building, or content creation first?

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Method 5: Selling Digital and Physical Products

Beyond ads, sponsorships, affiliate marketing, and email, you can sell products directly to your audience. Alston covers both digital and physical options.

A digital product could be a PDF guide priced at $4.99 or $5, teaching viewers how to build their own video game, or a walkthrough pack for a specific title, or a strategy guide for a popular game’s hardest content. You create it once, set up the download delivery, and every subsequent sale runs on autopilot. The buyer clicks, pays, and downloads. Your involvement ends after the initial setup. That is a genuinely passive product once it is built and listed.

A physical product in the gaming space most commonly means branded merchandise through print-on-demand services like Teespring. You design a t-shirt, hoodie, or hat with your channel name or a gaming-related graphic, list it on the platform, and Teespring prints and ships it when someone orders. No inventory required, no upfront production cost. You set the price above the product cost and collect the margin on each sale. If your community is engaged enough to want to represent your brand, merchandise becomes a meaningful additional income layer that also promotes your channel every time someone wears it.

The product layer also lets you serve your audience at different price points. Some people will watch your free content for months and never buy anything. A $5 digital guide is a low-risk entry point that can start the buying relationship and open the door to higher-priced offers later on. Start with something simple, deliver real value, and expand from there as you learn what your audience is willing to pay for.

How to Pick Your Niche Inside Gaming

Gaming is enormous, which means you need to decide exactly where you are going to plant your flag before you start creating content. The first decision is hardware versus software. Hardware content covers peripherals, components, monitors, gaming chairs, desk setups, and all the physical gear that goes into a gaming rig. Software content covers the games themselves.

If you go the software route, you need to decide which game or games to focus on. Will you cover a single title, like The Division 2? Will you go broader across a genre, like first-person shooters or open-world RPGs? Will you focus on competitive multiplayer, co-op, or single-player story content? Each of those choices narrows your audience to the people who care most about exactly that thing.

From there, Alston recommends niching down even further. Instead of making generic content about The Division 2, focus on something like “how to beat the final boss in The Division 2” or “best gear set for endgame in The Division 2.” The more specific your content, the less competition you face and the more clearly you solve a real problem for a viewer who has a specific need and is actively searching for the answer. A viewer who lands on a video that answers exactly their question is far more likely to subscribe, click your affiliate links, and join your email list than a viewer who stumbled onto general gaming content.

One important mindset point from the video: in the early stages, create content around what your audience wants, not just what you personally feel like making. Once people know, like, and trust you, you earn the right to branch out into content that interests you personally. But getting to that point requires first proving that your channel reliably delivers content that serves a specific need. Build the trust first by answering real questions, then expand your creative range from a position of audience loyalty.

The Alphabet Soup Keyword Research Technique

Once you have your niche, you need to know exactly what content to create within it. Alston teaches a free keyword research method called alphabet soup, and it works directly inside YouTube or Twitch without any paid tools or subscriptions.

Here is how it works step by step. Open YouTube. Type your game’s name into the search bar. Type a space after it, then the letter A. Watch what autocomplete suggestions appear below the search bar. Those are real searches that real people are making right now. Write them all down. Then delete the A, add the letter B, and see what autocomplete shows you. Go through every letter of the alphabet this way. By the time you reach Z, you have a list of dozens of real content ideas representing real demand from your potential audience.

This technique works because YouTube’s autocomplete is driven by actual search volume. It shows you what people are already looking for, not what you guessed they might want. “The Division 2 best build for beginners,” “The Division 2 all collectibles locations,” “The Division 2 how to unlock world tier 5” are all examples of the kind of specific, high-intent searches you will surface. Each one is a person with a question and your video as the potential answer. Creating content systematically around these searches means you are building a library of videos that each solve a specific problem, which is the fastest way to grow a channel that generates consistent organic traffic.

The same technique applies on Twitch if you search by game category and browse related tags. Find where your potential viewers are concentrated, see what questions they are asking in those streams, and create content that speaks directly to those needs.

The Step-by-Step Action Plan

Here is the full sequence Alston walks through for getting started:

Pick your niche. Decide between hardware and software content, then narrow to a specific game or game category. The more specific, the better your odds of standing out.
Do keyword research via alphabet soup. Go to YouTube, type your game name plus a space and each letter of the alphabet one by one, and record all the autocomplete suggestions. Build your content calendar entirely from those real searches.
Create content your audience wants. Answer questions, solve specific problems, and help viewers achieve specific goals. Walkthroughs, boss guides, gear comparisons, and beginner setup tutorials all serve clear needs. Create consistently and prioritize the viewer’s need over your own preferences in the early stages.
Add links in every description. Either link to your landing page to capture emails or drop affiliate links for the products and gear you mention. Every piece of content you publish should have a clear call to action in the description that points toward one of your income streams.
Build your email list from day one. Even with ten subscribers, set up your landing page, lead magnet, and autoresponder. Do not wait until you have thousands of followers to start capturing emails. Every person who finds your content and does not get onto your list is a potential long-term subscriber you lose access to permanently if the platform changes.
Check your analytics. Track watch time, click-through rates, comments, and subscriber growth. If viewers are not finishing your videos, look at where they are dropping off and adjust. Analytics tell you the truth about what is working and what is not, faster than any other feedback signal.
Repeat. Keep creating content, keep growing your list, keep testing affiliate products, and keep refining based on what the data tells you. This is a system built over time, not a one-shot effort. Alston makes this point explicitly: rinse and repeat, following the same steps, and the income compounds as the content library and email list grow together.

Honest Drawbacks to Know Before You Start

Alston is clear that this process is not complicated, and he is right. But there are real things to know going in that will save you from early frustration.

Ad revenue alone will not pay your bills early on. YouTube’s Partner Program requires 4,000 watch hours and 1,000 subscribers before you even qualify to monetize. Getting there takes consistent content creation over months, not days. Most new creators see their first ad payment after several months of work. Build the other income layers, especially affiliate marketing and email, while you grow toward the monetization threshold so you are not waiting on ad checks that have not arrived yet.

Sponsorships require an audience. Brands rarely reach out to small channels in the early stages. The good news is that an engaged email list can substitute for raw subscriber count in sponsorship negotiations. A list of 10,000 people who opted in specifically to receive your recommendations is worth far more to a sponsor than 100,000 passive social followers who barely notice your content. Focus on list building from day one and the sponsorship bargaining power comes with it.

Gaming is competitive. A lot of creators are in this space, which is why niching down specifically is so important. Broad channels covering “gaming in general” compete against an enormous field. A channel focused on one specific game, or one specific type of challenge within that game, faces far less competition and serves its audience far more precisely. The more specific your niche, the easier it is to become the go-to resource for that exact audience.

Email marketing has upfront costs in time and money. ClickFunnels, the tool Alston recommends, carries a monthly fee after the two-week free trial ends. Free alternatives exist for beginners who want to start without the expense, but at some point investing in a proper email tool pays for itself through improved conversions and automation capabilities. Use the trial to learn the system, test your lead magnet, and decide whether the tool fits your workflow before committing to the ongoing cost.

Find Your X

The gaming niche has multiple income paths and the right one depends on your specific skills, your available time, and where you are starting from. If you are not sure whether to focus on affiliate marketing, email list building, YouTube ad revenue, or product creation first, use the free tool at finder.platformproof.com. Answer a few questions about what you already know and how much time you have available each week, and it will point you toward the income stream that fits your exact situation best so you are not spinning your wheels on the wrong method for your stage of the journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be a professional gamer to make money in the gaming niche?

No. Alston is explicit about this in the video. You can be someone who is casually interested in gaming, or even just someone with a friend or family member who games deeply. What matters is your ability to serve an audience that is interested in gaming content, not your personal skill level at the games themselves. A helpful walkthrough from an average player who explains things clearly and answers the right questions will outperform a top-tier player who streams silently every time.

How many subscribers do I need before I can start making money?

For YouTube ad revenue, you need 4,000 watch hours and 1,000 subscribers to qualify. But affiliate commissions and digital product sales can start happening with a much smaller audience than that. If you have ten subscribers and one of them buys a product through your affiliate link, you earn a commission on that sale. The important move is to have your affiliate links in place and your landing page active from the very beginning, regardless of how small your audience is at the start.

What gaming products work best for affiliate marketing?

Anything your specific audience is already planning to buy. For PC gamers: graphics cards, CPUs, monitors, keyboards, mice, and headsets. For console players: controllers, gaming chairs, TVs, and stands. For streamers: microphones, webcams, capture cards, and studio lighting. Link the exact gear you personally use. Viewers trust gear recommendations from creators who have already tested the products and can speak to the experience firsthand, which is what separates a useful recommendation from generic affiliate content.

What should my email lead magnet cover?

Something highly specific that your audience genuinely wants and cannot easily find elsewhere. A boss-fight guide, a level walkthrough, a best-build breakdown, or a gear setup checklist for a popular game all work well. The more specific the promise in the lead magnet title, the higher your opt-in conversion rate will be. “How I beat the Final Fantasy 7 final boss in under 10 minutes” converts far better than “gaming tips and tricks” because the viewer knows exactly what they are trading their email for and already wants it.

How do I get sponsorships before I have a large audience?

In the early stages, focus on building your email list and creating consistent, high-quality content rather than chasing sponsorship deals. Brands typically initiate contact once you have demonstrated consistent output and real audience engagement. When you do have a list, that becomes your negotiating point. Telling a sponsor that you have 10,000 people on your email list changes both the conversation and the rates you can command, often significantly more than raw subscriber count alone.

Should I start on YouTube or Twitch?

It depends on the type of content you want to create. YouTube is better for searchable, long-lasting content like walkthroughs, gear reviews, and tutorials, since videos can be discovered through search months or years after you post them. Twitch is better for live entertainment and building a real-time community around your personality. Many successful creators do both, using Twitch for live streams and uploading highlights or edited segments to YouTube afterward. Starting with one platform and learning it thoroughly before expanding is usually the smarter early decision rather than trying to do both at once from the beginning.

What is the alphabet soup technique and does it actually work?

Alphabet soup is a free keyword research technique where you go to YouTube, type your game name followed by a space and then a single letter of the alphabet, and record the autocomplete suggestions that appear. You cycle through every letter from A to Z and collect all the suggestions into a content idea list. It works because YouTube’s autocomplete is driven by real search volume, so every suggestion represents actual demand from real searchers. It is free, it takes about 15 minutes per game, and it gives you a direct window into exactly what your potential audience is actively looking for right now.

Why is it so important to start building an email list early?

Because every platform you build on is owned by someone else and can be taken away. YouTube channels get shut down. Twitch accounts get suspended. Algorithms change and cut your organic reach overnight. Your email list is the one audience asset you fully own and control. If your channel disappeared tomorrow, you could send one email to your list and tell your audience where to find you next. Without a list, you have no way to take your audience with you when something changes on the platform. Starting list building from day one, even with ten subscribers, means every person who finds your content has a chance to become a permanent connection rather than a one-time viewer you never reach again.

Sources

Alston Godbolt, “How To Make Money Online Playing Video Games In 2020,” YouTube: https://youtu.be/_bVpkA-krNk
Gaming industry valuation: over $18 billion in the US as of 2017 (cited in video)
YouTube Partner Program thresholds: 4,000 watch hours and 1,000 subscribers
ClickFunnels: landing page builder with two-week free trial (recommended by Alston in video)
Teespring: print-on-demand physical merchandise (mentioned in video)