1001 Ways to Make Money If You Dare (128 page)

796 TAKE A FALL IN A VIDEO GAME — FOR MONEY.
What better way for a newbie to show he's mastered the art than to have him take down his sensei? Of course, there's no way he could
really
beat you (we hope). But as long as his credit card clears, it's time to let him fake it in front of his gaming friends. Beware though, your credibility may take a nosedive if one too many Daniel-sans take you down.

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797 TEACH GAMERS HOW TO CHEAT.
Those who can, do; those who can't,
cheat
. All games have certain bugs or hacks that you can exploit. The hard part isn't finding out how to cheat, it's figuring out how to cheat without getting caught. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to train amateur con artists how to get away with whupping some ass illegally. (Only accept if you don't mind risking your online rep.)

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798 WRITE GAMING GUIDES.
If you're good — and we mean
real
good — and you're fast — and we mean
real
fast — you could go into business cranking out companion texts to the newest video games. The only problem is you need to be able to beat the game in a short amount of time and crank out your guide to make sure it's out when the game's still relevant. If you think you have what it takes, try soliciting the two official strategy guide publishers: Prima Games and BradyGames. Just don't plan on having a life.

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799 BECOME A GAME TESTER.
Speaking of lives, this is
it
: Sitting on your couch, scarfing junk food, going full-throttle on a game that hasn't even hit store shelves yet — and calling it work. Sounds awesome, right? Well it is. And that's why the competition to become a game tester is harder than beating Contra without the cheat. If you think you have what it takes, check out the job board on
GamesTester.com
.

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800 DEVELOP A VIDEO GAME.
Ever thought you could one-up the folks at Microsoft or Nintendo? Go for it. Going from concept to finished product isn't easy (and usually requires an advanced degree), and designing a fully developed game can take years, especially on your own. But remember — if you build it, they will come.

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801 ENTER A VIDEO GAME TOURNAMENT.
Think you have what it takes to go pro? Then put up or shut up and hit up
MLGPro.com
. (Yes, MLG does stand for Major League Gaming.) This isn't
The Wizard
, so a mastery of Super Mario Bros. 3 won't get you anywhere. These guys (and girls) take their gaming seriously. You might want to try a local tournament first.

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