Dad, I want to skip college and play games

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Chinese online games players, once considered layabouts or addicts, are emerging as cultural heroes with potentially lucrative careers. Yao Minji explores.

Jeremy Zhou, 17 years old, will be a senior at a private American high school in California in September. While all his American classmates are busy planning college applications, Zhou isn’t interested in higher education. He wants to become a professional electronic “sports” player, in other words, an online game player.

“For people who love games, isn’t it a dream job? Don’t they say you need to find a job that you like?” Zhou says in an online interview. “Plus, if I am good, which I am, I can make more than a good living. I heard professional players back home in China make 20,000 yuan (US$3,269) a month, much higher than most jobs.”

Income varies, but Zhou is not just guessing. According to Shanghai-based Invictus Gaming Club, on average, players on the team for the game “Defense of the Ancients II” each made around 1.2 million yuan (US$200,000) in 2012. The team won the world championship in Seattle, Washington State, last year, splitting the top prize of US$1 million. That’s only one of their titles.

“Our team plays on the high end, but overall, the social status, income, social acknowledgement, quality of games, popularity among the public and prizes have all been greatly improved, especially over the last two years,” says Liu Yuan, chief executive officer of the club, better known as eFeng in the gaming world.

A former player himself, Liu recalls how his parents didn’t support him, like many parents at the time. It is different today, as the industry has developed and more Chinese players and teams become world champions in various types of games.

“Now, parents are much more supportive. We even have parents who sent their kids to us. You can really make a living out of it. We have competitions almost every week all around the country and sometimes abroad, and prizes are much higher too,” he says.

Professional gaming has been Zhou’s dream since 15, when he saw TV interviews with professional players “who were treated like superstars.” His goal became clearer as school guidance counsellors urged students to think about what they want to do after high school.

Last December, Zhou told his parents of his decision, saying he would go to college after he retires from a professional career, whether successful or not. People can study at any age, he told them, but the prime time for a professional player is short, usually between 18 and 22 years old because most of the games require quick hand-eye coordination, among many other skills that decline as one ages.

“Of course, they were furious,” Zhou says. “Like many people, especially parents, they equated gamer to amateur, and games to addiction that isn’t helpful and only harms someone’s life.”

Not surprised by their refusal, Zhou showed his parents what he had collected over the years — media coverage about the electronic sports industry, stories about successful Chinese professional players and statistics to show he has the potential.

• China's online games flourish

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