Startups

This startup wants to help gamers learn from the pros

GamerTrainer is a platform for video game lessons. It also offers an opportunity for professionals to make some additional money outside of tournaments, said founder Stephen Gheysens.

eSports is filling arenas. (Photo by Flickr user Jakob Wells, used under a Creative Commons license)

It’s no secret that video game enthusiasts love their craft. With more and more connectivity available, gamers are channeling that energy into team sports, and making big money. A D.C. startup is looking to help all gamers tap into the professional knowledge that’s out there.

GamerTrainer was started this year by Stephen Gheysens, who was inspired by his own attempt to get back into video games after taking some time off. He noticed the community was missing something.

“There isn’t a great structure in place for improving,” Gheysens said. “There are forums where people talk about the games, but there isn’t a structure outside of in-game tutorials for learning and helping, so it’s not an education-focused community.”

With the platform, he wants to provide “a place to go where you can go to learn from somebody more experienced.”

The platform is designed to provide training for amateur gamers in a variety of PC and console games, chosen based on either their popular appeal or their ability to make players money. Gheysens said he started the project in part to allow other gamers to reach a high enough level of achievement to be able to truly appreciate the video games that they invested in. 

A screenshot of GamerTrainer (Courtesy photo)

A screenshot of GamerTrainer (Courtesy photo)

Gheysens also wants to help the video game community. The trend of playing video games professionally is part of a larger movement called the eSports movement. Gamers form teams and compete in large tournaments, like this one our sister site Technical.ly Delaware profiled earlier this year. There are big winnings at stake from tournaments. Gheysens wants to offer a way to make the money consistent.

“Because income isn’t as predictable as a pro gamer, this is a more predictable way to earn money,” Gheysens said. “And even people who aren’t pro gamers but are good in their respective games can sign up and go through an interview process and make some side money.”

Professional gamers will eventually offer lessons on the platform through the popular video streaming sites Mixer and Twitch, which will give them a view of their students’ screens and allow them to offer commentary in real time. Additionally, trainers will be tasked with writing suggestions to their students, which the tutees will be able to see upon logging back into the platform after the lesson. With the website operational, Gheysens is in the process of signing on trainers.

GamerTrainer is not the only platform to offer this service. But Gheysens said that what sets him apart from other companies is the all-in-one feel of the platform. GamerTrainer offers a way to “book the lesson, pay for it, take it and see the notes that the trainer took,” he said.

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