Why Gamers Should Consider Investing in The Stock Market
Most gamers today are tech savvy. This knowledge and information is very beneficial as it allows gamers to have an edge when it comes to investment decisions.
Investing in anything comes with risks. This article's goal is to introduce you to one of the most accessible, affordable and historically one of the safest assets that exist today. Please do not feel obligated or pressured into making financial decisions. As with anything on the internet.... were just gonna leave it at that.
“Risk comes from not knowing what you are doing.” -Warren Buffet
Investing in stocks at first may seem like a very daunting and unrealistic task. I could not speak for everyone, but from my personal experience I was very hesitant and skeptical for years before buying my first stock Microsoft. This skepticism was due to various reasons and assumptions such as "investing is only for the wealthy" "you have to be highly educated to own stocks" and the classic "stocks are too risky". There are so many misconceptions about the stock market it would be impossible to unpack.
Yes. Stocks are risky. There is no way to sugarcoat it. Anyone who tells you differently is wrong. Some people may not be in a good enough position financially to take this risk and that's okay!
While I thought it was important to briefly discuss the risk side of stocks I would really like to focus on why as a gamer you may have an advantage when it comes to the stock market.
Gamers are likelier to understand THE growth potential and future success of tech companies.
Gamers are often tech enthusiasts and tech savvy as mentioned above. Some maybe a little bit more than others, but nonetheless, gamers understand tech companies because they are the consumers. The following is a great exercise to explore which companies you are a consumer for as a gamer, but can also be used for almost any sector.
Challenge:
Pick the latest game you played.
What was the company or companies that made the game?
What equipment did you need to to play the game?
Who made the equipment?
This is a great way to get you thinking about which companies you use as a gamer.
One of the most difficult parts of investing can be choosing the right companies to own. Ideally you would want to own companies that are on track to do well in the future but have not fully priced this into the share price. So continuing on with this exercise, as a gamer
5. What games or components will be popular in the future amongst other gamers?
This is the million dollar question. Slow down there buckeroo, some of the smartest people in the world have answered and are continuing to answer this correctly so don't feel too special just yet.
Microsoft is a great example. Many gamers have, have had or know someone who has an xbox. From my experience as a gamer, Microsoft is one of, if not the most well known gaming company at the time. They also have a wide variety of exposure in the gaming sector such as consoles, network, game developers and many others.
Now I know I have only talked about Microsoft so far, primarily because they are very well known. However, there are thousands of publicly traded gaming and tech companies on the stock market that anyone can invest in that you may have some valuable insight on.
Is Now The Time to Buy? Market Outlook 2022/2023
Right now there is a lot of uncertainty in the marketing and economy. I have my own thoughts and opinions but am also open to the idea I can be completely wrong. I have been hesitant to publish this article because I do expect a recession in the near future and don't believe stocks will be the safest investment.
Recessions are terrible in the short-term but should create a much healthier economy.
In the longer term I am still very bullish (confident) in many tech companies. For this reason I think people who are interested in starting to invest in stocks should start researching different companies they would like to own and start budgeting/saving as soon as possible. In the event there is a recession it is guaranteed to be reflected in the stock market.
In the end it is up to you to make financial decisions. I hope this has opened you, as a gamer, to the idea of owning companies you are familiar with. Being strong financially has many benefits such as allowing you to play videogames all day and buy electronics you dreamed about as a kid. We hope to help you along this journey.