Sad news indeed.
NYTimes had an interview with a former professional gamer for one of their article.

He was a professional gamer for Dead or Alive 4, made it to the top with base salary of $30,000.
It’s a life that almost every gamers dream of. And then..

Now, the ex-pro gamer works at the customer service desk for a Sam’s Club in Dallas, pushing carts.

Many companies and sponsors just couldn’t handle the recession well. Now, more than 100 professional gamers are not so ‘pro’ anymore.

There are still some pro gamers out there, and many gaming industry professionals are almost certain that gaming world would not be affected by the recession. I almost believed them, but an article like this forces me to believe otherwise.