The business of being really, really good at playing video games is hurting. Professional gaming leagues are shutting down left and right, meaning that many people who participate in those leagues are out now jobless.

The New York Times profiles some those ultra-hardcore gamers who made it their job—or "job," if you prefer—to play video games like Counter-Strike and Dead or Alive 4 better than 99.9% of the world's population, folks left without income after the closure of leagues like the Championship Gaming Series.

It's not all gloom and doom, though, as at least Major League Gaming is still thriving. And it's expected to turn a profit this year, according to league president and chief executive Matthew Bromberg.

Sure it's hard out there for a guy whose primary skill set involves aiming a mouse extremely well, but pro gaming hasn't quite yet given up the ghost.

Virtual Leagues Fold, Forcing Gamers to Find Actual Jobs [NY Times]

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