As video streaming technology has evolved, video game enthusiasts have embraced the chance to create an online presence. For both professional gamers and industrious hobbyists, services such as Ustream and Twitch.tv allow the chance to build an audience and create a social platform while playing games.
T.L. Taylor, an associate professor in comparative media studies at MIT, addressed the growing trend on campus earlier this month. In her talk, “Watch Me Play: Live-streaming, Computer Games, and the Future of Spectatorship,” Taylor said spectatorship isn’t new.
“Spectatorship has always been an important part of gaming, all the way back to the arcades,” Taylor said.
Even before G4, a major network that attempted to bring video game shows to television, programs such as Starcade in the ‘80s and Nick Arcade in the ‘90s gave fans a way to watch others play.
However, attempts to bring video games and television together have never managed to catch on. G4 recently restructured, moving away from video games entirely. Many streamers and fans now believe the future of video game broadcasts exists online.
For many fans, the numbers alone are enough to show how popular streaming has become. The League of Legends championship stream in October 2012 topped 1.1 million concurrent viewers, with more than 8 million across the entire weekend.
The chance to watch other people play online can offer a lot for fans, Taylor said. Watching pro players can help viewers up their own games, while others just derive entertainment from seeing others play and talk about their experiences. Some just find inspiration in a streamer’s level of talent.
“People are just amazed at how good players can be,” Taylor said.
A major part of this talent is the fact that one of the major streaming groups is made up of professional video game players. Fans of esports leagues such as Major League Gaming now have the chance to watch their favorite pro players not only at tournaments, but also while they practice. Teams like Evil Geniuses spend several hours a day practicing strategies, interacting with their fans as they do it.
“A number of the broadcasters I’ve talked to have said that broadcasting their practice helps up their game,” Taylor said.
This social interaction between streamers and their fans helps create a sense of community, an important aspect for streamers who seek to build an audience. Many streamers believe that to be successful, they must have additional cameras showing their faces. This allows fans to identify and relate to gamers themselves rather than disembodied voices.
Whether their goal is to entertain or allow access to their practice, streamers who can successfully build an audience can find some level of financial benefit. This applies to contracted team members for the most part, such as players contracted with Evil Geniuses, though there are some gamers who have managed to make it on their own.
“You have a very thin layer of players who have enough viewers following them that they don’t need to be part of a team,” Taylor said.
The fact that streamers are able to make money off playing and broadcasting games could also lead to potential problems down the road. The legality of game streaming has constantly been under question, and even the streaming sites have been ambiguous on this point. Some worry that as streaming becomes more popular, game developers may seek to reclaim their IPs and the profit.
For now, it remains a growing phenomeno= n that offers a new way for gamers to come together and enjoy the medium. For more information on Taylor’s research, visit tltaylor.com.
