Entry 8: Twitch.tv

            For this self-generated blog post we have some freedom to write about what we please and it helps to tie it into whatever paper we are writing. So for this post I will be discussing the medium video gamers all can relate to. Twitch.tv is the medium for people trying to get good at games.

Twitch.tv is a very popular cite where gamers can watch other professional gamers play (live stream) the games they love. These people watching the game can learn new tactics and strategies, as well as get to know the pros on a closer basis. What this creates a central point for players who are trying to better their knowledge or just hang out with their favorite streamer. When streamers get popular from being good, just a fun personality, or both the result is mass amounts of viewers. These amounts of viewers tune in for a variety of reasons including, being a part of a mass group chat with peers their ages, learning tons of knowledge about the game they love, and the overall entertainment of the stream.

When steamers like Cloud 9 Sneaky turn on their stream and bring in more than 20 thousand people it is easy to answer viewer’s questions to make them think about what they already believe. Unless the viewers have no pre-existing knowledge on a subject, they are most likely going to believe. It is easy for one of these streamers to make the general population believe for instance how fun it is to play a certain game. Sneaky for instance streams League of Legends (a popular game on twitch) can simply wear a shirt that has a Hearthstone logo on it, (another popular twitch game) and make comment on it and half the streamers are inclined to play Hearthstone.

Viewers are also encouraged through this experience to upgrade their computers to hopefully be on the same playing field as the pros. People spend thousands of dollars on duel monitors, new mouse’s and key boards, as well as donate money to have a google voice lady say a message everyone watching can hear. A lot of the time it is profanity. But people are addicted to making funny comments through google voice for everyone to hear, which brings in thousands of dollars for streamers. Viewers can also subscribe to the channel to support the streamer as well as getting cool emoticons to use while typing in the chat. Also, merchandise from sponsors like Cloud 9 sell bracelets to promote the logo off the computer.

Streamers easily can act as a medium for gamer from all over the world. Whether you want to watch Korean streamers in America or American streamers in Korea. Again it is easy to see how one can be influenced by the people they look up to for gaming advice and other things. So for now that is all but more blogs are soon to follow.