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We frequently get asked what it’s like, and how hard it is, to break into the video game indusrty. While Jace has frequently shared some secrets of his own, we reached out to one of the best in the biz.
Ciji Thornton, a.k.a. StarSlay3r, has been competitive as a gamer for over a decade, playing almost every game under the sun. How did she become successful as a pro gamer? What is it like to make a living playing video games? Is it any different because she so happens to be a female gamer?
We asked StarSlay3r all this and more:
How long have you officially been gaming? When did you turn professional?
I have been playing games ever since I was a child. I started playing Nintendo games just because I enjoyed them. In 1999 I started to get more serious with my gaming participating in tournaments for DDR and such, but it wasn’t until 2006 when I started competing in Guitar Hero tournaments that I really realized I wanted to pursue a path in pro gaming. I have since been a serious competitor competing at a professional level since 2007.
What games do you “compete” in?
Right now I put most of my focus on practicing and competing for Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Super Street Fighter AE and now Street Fighter x Tekken. I play a lot of games and will enter a tournament for pretty much any game I have experience with though. I most recently got 1st place in a Galaga high score tournament and am looking forward to competing in the next Iron Man of Gaming multi-genre gaming tournament to really put my skills to the test again. 
Describe what it means for you to lose a game, does it happen often given how much you play or would you describe it as a rare event?
I’m very hard on myself, and I don’t take losing well, however losing is part of competing. You can’t win them all, and it’s because of my losses that I have pushed myself harder and harder to be a better player.
I don’t play as much as I should, but it’s just because I have so much going on. When I was practicing more I was placing much better, but I still do well considering the amount of time I do play. My placements depend on how much practice I get in, what game I’m playing (my rhythm game placements are obviously much higher than my fighting game placements for example) and the prizes that are on the line. The better the prizes, the better the competition, and the harder it is to win.
How do people respond when you tell them what you do for a living?
It depends on who I’m talking to. If I’m talking to an avid gamer they usually respond with “Oh my gosh you’re so lucky! Can you tell me how to get into pro gaming?”. If I’m talking to someone who isn’t a gamer they tend to ask me a million questions.
Conversations with non gamers can be a lot of fun if they’re the type who are genuinely interested in how pro gaming came to be so popular. It’s like taking a kid to a candy store. Their eyes light up and they ask me to tell them stories about the competitions I’ve been to and what it’s like traveling the world for gaming, being on reality shows, etc. Next thing I know they’re on YouTube watching a ton of videos from gaming events like MLG and others asking me to tell them more about this scene they never knew existed. It’s pretty awesome spreading the word and getting more people interested in the competitive scene honestly.
Do you have any advice for people who would love to do what you do? Is it harder or easier than what people might come to expect?
It’s a LOT harder than people think it is. I’ve heard people talk about pro gaming like anyone can do it, especially when they find out I play Guitar Hero and Rock Band.

“It’s just pressing buttons, it takes no skill at all”, they say.
I think that casual gamers and gamers who are “better than all their friends” but have never competed before don’t know exactly how hard it is to succeed as a pro gamer. You’ve got thousands of talented gamers from all around the world competing for the same few sponsorships and the top 3 placements in order to make some money back. It costs thousands of dollars to buy games, peripherals, plane tickets, reserve hotels, paying entree fees, etc., and if you don’t have a sponsor it’s all out of pocket. It’s hard to stand out, and it’s hard to stay on top when new faces are popping up every year.
The competition is getting younger and faster, and it’s hard to keep up. Going pro doesn’t happen overnight, and no matter how much natural talent you have at a game there’s always more you can learn, and ways to improve. My best advice is to practice hard, go to every event you can afford to attend, find a way to stand out, and never give up.
(Read More From Ciji on Being a Pro Gamer and succeed as a professional in video gaming.)
I was competing for about 8 years before anyone paid any attention to me or my skills and sponsored me. If I had given up I wouldn’t be where I am today. I wrote a couple articles on my website about pursuing a path as a pro gamer if people would like to read them. I talk about everything from just starting to working with a team and a manager, and how to promote yourself. I learned a lot over the years and I hope others can learn from my mistakes and the areas where I succeeded.
Talk about the charities you’re involved with. How has gaming allowed you to GIVE back?
Over the past 5 1/2 years or so I’ve had the honor of working with several charity groups including The Autism Society of America, Childs Play Charity, Starlight Children’s Foundation, To Write Love On Her Arms, and others.
Starlight Children’s Foundation is the charity I’ve worked with the most and is my favorite to support. I have been given so many great opportunities in life so I love giving back whenever I can. I’ve combined my passion for gaming and my promotional experience to create tournaments for the gaming community while also raising funds for a charity, have done gaming themed auctions where all the proceeds from every item auctioned off went to help get gaming stations in hospitals for ill children, and even teamed up with a dozen others to rock out to Rock Band for 4 days setting a world record and raising thousands for Child’s Play charity.
I may not be a real musician, and I may not be a famous actress, but I do have a talent when it comes to gaming. If I can use that talent to help raise funds for those less fortunate and help make a difference in the world, you better believe I’ll game my butt off to do that!
Check out The StarSlay3r YouTube Channel and her twitter page for more!
Paul Nyhart – who has written 879 posts on The Jace Hall Show.
Paul Nyhart has been the Head Editor and Writer of JaceHallShow.com since Season 3. He began his career as a sports announcer, segueing into the world of voice-over and film production. Send all tips to Paul@HDfilms.com

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