GAMETRAIN
BEGINNINGS
Gametrain Origin Story
When COVID-19 began, many people suddenly found themselves isolated from family and friends. Searching for ways to connect with others, countless students turned to online gaming to meet and play with others. However, this influx of new inexperienced players created the perfect storm for online bullying as many of the new players were frequently harasser for their lack of skill and experience.
In order to help transition players into the competitive gaming world, I envisioned a training arena to get new players up to speed and flatten the learning curve. The quicker new players improved, the quicker they would stop being targets of in game bullies. I soon found out that a significant portion of the traffic on the site was coming from developing countries such as Brazil and India. Upon this discovery, I realized I could help people much more if I made some changes.
After seeing that a large portion of users came from India and Brazil, I saw an opportunity to help that I knew I had to act on. With the average Brazilian annual salary being $1550 and India’s at just over $5,000, I thought it would be best to prioritize coaches from these regions as they likely needed the income the most. If annual salaries are that low, financial opportunity is low as well so I wanted to do my part by providing opportunities to those who likely need it. As well as helping new players adjust, GameTrain works to provide financial opportunities to those who need them the most.
Coach Testimonies
MISSION
Values, Vision, & Impact
Since many people took up playing video games to occupy their time during quarantine, I thought I could help by providing accessible coaching for these new players. Online gaming always represented community and connection, so I wanted to combat the bullying that I was increasingly noticing.
It would help give students a sense of normality during difficult times, while simultaneously giving experienced players from developing countries a unique side hustle to monetize their skills.