Did you ever think there would be a time where sharing a passion for videogames on the internet could have an immense impact on thousands of gamers’ daily lives? In less than 10 years, Twitch has become a platform where genuine friendships and relationships can be made, charities can raise millions from contributions, and streamers can sustain themselves financially in making career through entertainment.
And it all makes perfect sense from a marketing perspective: the level of interaction and engagement casters provide can make a far more impactful experience for viewers than other forms of media can. These invaluable experiences create a strong attachment between viewers and their favorite streams, to lengths where they aspire to give them support or be more involved to keep those good times coming.
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From my own personal experience, Twitch quickly became my regular source of entertainment over tv shows and social events that used to excite me every week. From all the time I spent procrastinating in different channels, I’ve made some of the best friends I’ve ever had and enjoyed countless memories that I’ll never forget through the platform.
There were those streams like Spaceneener’s where I couldn’t contain my laughter and got in trouble at work while watching the strangest ARK documentary cast you’d ever see.
Then there were those nights in YouPickGames’ channel soon after Mario Kart 8’s release, filled with craziness and trash-talking as I shamelessly picked Rainbow Road over and over during viewer races.
I’ve always enjoyed casts like AndrewArcade’s where hilarious events and stories are made on the spot as he builds more and more life into The Sims.
And nothing will ever replace that time I stayed awake past exhaustion to cheer on Wshand through his 24 Hour Resident Evil Marathon before he tragically gave up 20 minutes from his goal.
With memorable experiences like these and all of the friendships I’ve made both online and at conventions, Twitch has brought more into my life than any other form of media ever will. And just as Facebook, Twitter, and other internet giants are trying to enhance their users’ personalized experience, Twitch can already do this well just from its model of interactive entertainment.
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However, in the past few years, the focus of Twitch and its community has changed quite a bit. While its’ growth and success has opened up opportunities for everyone, the overall experience Twitch now offers hasn’t quite been the same.
The biggest change has been that so many streamers now are concerned primarily about growth over everything else. Their priority is to look professional enough for corporate approval or to create a gimmick that’s “hype” enough to get frontpage attention, rather than nurturing that significant personal experience no other form of media can offer. If it weren’t for those remarkable experiences, I wouldn’t be so connected with the casts I’ve supported month after month. And if it weren’t for those experiences, Twitch would mean nothing more to me than a quick little Youtube video.
My main fear is that the more often streamers fixate on professional growth, the more impersonal their cast will become to their viewers. In effect, the user experience will get damaged and ignored, which is a HUGE red flag for ANY business. If more of the site loses touch with that element of intimacy, Twitch will gradually lose its magic as other platforms close in.
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But part of this fate is in our own hands! While most casters will always be concerned with their numbers to some extent, we can strive even more to support and share those streams that do focus on making an exceptional show for their viewers, both new and old. That’s why I’ve made this blog: to share fun and crazy moments from around Twitch that can inspire new casters to make a more captivating experience than ever!
One of the main hurdles many casters face now is building an audience with so much competition online. The same rules of marketing that apply to my clients’ industries also apply here: the best way to get to a customer’s heart is to give them the ultimate experience. It’s impossible to give everybody the perfect stream all the time, but with so many little factors that play into the overall viewer experience, there are thousands of things a caster can do to improve their craft and get more people hooked into the fun.
Wshand, one of my favorite casters that I mentioned above, always goes by the saying “embrace the chaos”. It ties in perfectly to Twitch because the more wild and imaginative we get with our content and our cast’s communities, the more fun and remarkable our streams can become!
Join me on this blog week by week for new posts about innovative casting ideas, trends in gaming and streaming, and much more!
Also, if you’re looking for more streaming inspiration, follow me on twitch at twitch.tv/lordsquidy13 and check out my amazing teammates on The Arcade for some of the best communities on the internet!
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