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[Acquiescence]

I tend to avoid watching complete strangers play games, but every now and then when I need to kill a bit of time, I'll nose around the PS4's Live from Playstation feature and check out the streams. It was through this means that I found out that giving donations to streamers and them requesting donations is quite commonplace. I have to admit, I'm completely baffled by it all. I really don't know why you'd give money to some schmo who you've never met just so they can... I don't know, keep playing games on Twitch or something? I don't understand it, I don't want to understand, and if people are really okay with wasting their money like that then hey, that's their prerogative. I'll just keep on avoiding it all.

 

[Emerson]

Reminds me of the early days of podcast monetization where there was just a ton of begging for donations.

I've got absolutely no problem financially supporting somebody who makes entertainment that I enjoy. However an easy first step to making something super unenjoyable is to plaster it with ads, donation begging, constant talk about subs or little jingles and inane comments when people donate.

More power to those who make it work but to the rest: sorry, nobody ever promised you could turn your hobby into easy money sitting at home. And acting super entitled about needing subscribers rather than just getting a job isn't doing much to bring me on board.

 

[Muzicfreq]

basically the next gen version of street musicians?

Though most the really good street musicians don't advertise their donation hats or anything. They also don't have sounds clips and annoying popups and scrolling banners advertising who donated how much.

Boogie actually has a video up talking about the donation thing about some people begging him to put one up. So I dunno... I guess it's fine but I rather not see scrolling text on screen and what not.
Have it like a donation hat that sits by itself.

 

[ironcreed]

Hell, I envy people who can sit around and make money playing games. If people are willing to give the money, I can hardly blame the streamers who take it. I'll take money if someone gives it to me as well. Just being honest.

 

[Summer Haze]

A lot of salt in this thread. If someone told you that you could make thousands of dollars a month from steaming yourself playing video games, you wouldn't do it? I only watch Hearthstone streams, and I have no problem with the little dings, jingles and recommendations for donations and subs.

Oh, absolutely. Though I would just be myself instead of acting like some fake, forced, obnoxious idiot who reminds their viewers to 'like and subscribe' every 30 seconds.

But yeah, much salt.

 

[The Elite]

Honestly, if I thought I was entertaining enough to keep an audience interested I would probably give it a shot.

 

[Muzicfreq]

Honestly, if I thought I was entertaining enough to keep an audience interested I would probably give it a shot.

I'm the opposite of entertaining when playing games. I don't like talking randomly while playing games unless I'm in TS or voice chat, but it's crap that's not usually game related.

 

[Automatisch]

Yeah I found JTV back in 2010 and stopped using twitch around July. Now I watch streams on hitbox and issues like delay and and chat going down the toilet are almost non-exsistant. If only twitch wasn't understaffed and had more staff who don't stream...

Yeah, I want to like Hitbox but the community just isn't there yet. That said, I think it's been growing compared to the last time I've checked it out, and as a platform is a really good competitor. It's crazy that a service of that size is able to do a better job than something the size of Twitch.

 

[ironcreed]

When I play a game it is for my enjoyment and relaxation time, not for an audience. I would not want to deal with toxic chats and a barrage of questions while I was trying to get immersed. But if someone offered to pay me, then I sure as hell would not refuse.

 

[Ivan Amiibo]

there are no strawmen left in the world after this thread.

there are people like the ones some of you guys describe, but it's not every single channel and there's plenty of good content. Just like TV has lots of shit and some really good stuff that makes it worth existing.

 

[Robert7lee]

I just don't get paying to watch some jabroni play a game.

Same thoughts here, I don't get the appeal of watching someone else play a game beyond picking up tips, guides, play style and seeing how a game is like before buying it.

The only thing I watch on twitch is Gt live, awesome show!

 

[McDougles]

Never understood the sentiment behind "streamers should be doing it only for the love of the game, not to make money" when Twitch brings in billions off of their streams.

What's the alternative; Twitch makes 100% of the money? Twitch and streamers make no money, use it as a charity service? Only the streamers I like should get money, while people I don't like don't get money? None of them make any sense. If they're popular enough, people will want to show their support. If that annoys you, I don't understand what part of the interactive service appeals to you.

Most Youtubers/Twitch streamers are garbage, whether or not it's due to their pushiness or their skill. The same ratio goes with people who try out for any skill-based platform or organization. Ignore what's terrible on YT/Twitch in your eyes and support who does it right (Northernlion, Super Best Friends, etc.).

 

[hbkdx12]

I find the psychology behind streaming to be quite interesting and distastefully annoying

I think i can handle the obnoxious sounds and tones that accompany a donation/sub

I think i can handle the fact that streamers have so much shit on their screen that the actual gameplay is about the size of a thumbnail

The thing that really pushes the envelope for me is that a lot of streamers now are doing the equivalent of what retail counters do with tip jars; they're putting their latest and/or largest donations on screen along with sub goals as well as personal goals (xx $ away from new gaming chair/monitor/etc!)

Sure, they're not begging but they're sure as shit going to subtly guilt you and remind you that there are other people who are doing what you're not (donating/subbing) and if you are, there are other people who are doing it better so why aren't you doing more?

Then there's the idea that people want to feel like unique snowflakes by donating and having the streamer read their name/comment. I was watching an MKX stream of some guy the other day. He was the top streamer. He was pretty cool. Very humble, mild mannered and was very good at the game. He had some overlays for new subs/donations but nothing egregious. At the time he had over 1200 people watching and between fights he'd maybe scan the chat and respond to a question (granted with that many people, chat is moving fast) but every time he got a donation he'd thank the donator and read whatever comment they had (which also contributed to him not following the chat) What i noticed is that some people would send him some arbitrary amount of money ($1.17, 2.49 etc) and ask for some tips in their comment. I'm not trying to overstate this like it happened with every other donation or anything but enough that it caught my attention and surely of those who were donating and asking those questions.

They could have easily asked for tips or asked those questions in chat but there's a good chance he would never see them. But if i shoot him a buck or two, he'll definitely stop and see it then. That's the message that's being conveyed even if that's not the streamers intention and to be fair i don't think it was at all.

It's very subtle and a lot of the time it's not even necessarily intentional but a lot the environment/community is geared towards getting people to sub and donate. It's just how it is unfortunately

 

[AkelisRain]

One of my Favorite streamers is Lirik. The kid gives no shits, he will thank and keep playing.

 

[DrROBschiz]

Everyone wants to make a living doing what they love

I get it.

Doesn't mean I am gonna throw my money around. I have yet to donate to any streamer and I probably never will

Its a curious thing. I wonder what the saturation point is assuming we havn't already reached it.

 

[Ultima_5]

for the life of me, i dont understand why streaming games is a thing.

i just cant understand the audience for these things or why theres money invovled

 

[ironcreed]

Everyone wants to make a living doing what they love

I get it.

Doesn't mean I am gonna throw my money around. I have yet to donate to any streamer and I probably never will

Its a curious thing. I wonder what the saturation point is assuming we havn't already reached it.

I hear you. More power to them, but they will never get a dime from me for sitting there playing a game or doing whatever, lol.

 

[DrROBschiz]

I hear you. More power to them, but they will never get a dime from me for sitting there playing a game or doing whatever, lol.

Its bizarre because many of these services are just free to share (IE social networking) and yet... like every social network ever made its all eventually converted into "how can we make money"

Its just the reality of the situation but of course the 'free market" realities also seep in and its impossible for everyone who loves games to make money off of simply streaming.

Anyone not going the extra mile to stand out needs to have realistic expectations or get a damn day job

 

[E92 M3]

for the life of me, i dont understand why streaming games is a thing.

i just cant understand the audience for these things or why theres money invovled

It's fun to have in the background and check out a new game on the market. Also, fighting and FPS tournaments are fun to watch.

 

[PHOENIXZERO]

Not surprising, happened to Youtube and happened with other internet things.

I don't get streaming or the let's play business either...

 

[ElCidTmax]

I'm just waiting for the inevitable 'gold show' on twitch.

 

[SweetJohnnyCage]

People are willing to contribute to others for their work. I don't see the issue.

Yes, there are people who overtly beg for donations with lines such as, "Donate to me so I can get better stream equipment!", and that's really annoying. I either stop watching or just don't donate. My best friend is a streamer. Not full time, but he does it on an almost-daily basis and has a good following. He never asks for donations. He has never once told people to donate. In fact, people have told HIM to put a donate button so they can give him money, and they have. Is it thousands of dollars? No, but it's enough to maybe order dinner that night or something. He still has his full time 9-5 career and balances both accordingly, but you can't hate on someone for doing what people ask them to do. Shit, if you don't have a donate button, you're basically pissing away free money. A lot of established streamers and YT'ers we know all told us that.

 

[ironcreed]

If there is a way to make money, people are going to find out how to do it. There are plenty of folks who are more than willing to shell it out as well. This goes for anything, even for just sitting there looking cute, making witty comments or for playing a video game. It is what it is.

 

[E92 M3]

I just find it ridiculous when people ask for donations and say it's to support their family or get better equipment. People should always look to make money, just do it with some dignity.

Personal opinions and all.

 

[The Llama]

As always with these twitch stream threads, my opinion is the same: If ya don't like it, don't watch it. It's a form of entertainment to many, fair enough if you don't like it.

 

[ironcreed]

I just find it ridiculous when people ask for donations and say it's to support their family or get better equipment. People should always look to make money, just do it with some dignity.

Personal opinions and all.

Stuff like this extends far beyond gaming. There are even people on Youtube who steal news stories form various outlets and have donation links in the description box. The cat has been out of the bag on this kind of thing for years now and it's only getting bigger.

 

[Mihos]

for the life of me, i dont understand why streaming games is a thing.

i just cant understand the audience for these things or why theres money invovled

I don't get it either. I gave it a chance, but after about 2 minutes, I just want to snatch the controller away from them and play myself. I figured it is just an age thing.

 

[nuttyevans]

I guess I'm a bit too old for this stuff but I can't watch streaming for more than 5 mins without getting bored.

On the other hand if people are going to throw money at you for playing a game then go for it.

 

[Ultima_5]

I don't get it either. I gave it a chance, but after about 2 minutes, I just want to snatch the controller away from them and play myself. I figured it is just an age thing.

Possibly. I'm in my early twenties and now have a job to actually buy whatever I want. I guess the target demo is a few years younger and still can't afford each new game they want to play

 

[Phrozenflame500]

I just find it ridiculous when people ask for donations and say it's to support their family or get better equipment. People should always look to make money, just do it with some dignity.

Well, money > dignity in business, but even then I find the majority of streamers(at least the ones I frequent) leave the sub-begging to notifications and occasionally a sub count and normally it doesn't get too obnoxious.

Admittedly, there are people who take it too far. But as long as it's not too overt I don't mind.

EDIT: I should also point out that most of the top-streaming games are e-sports with high skill ceilings. High-level play is very different from the pubs that most people play in, so there is a real difference between playing and watching the game.

 

[Dr. Zoidberg]

I turned on the Playstation 4 stream app last night to check out a few games and almost every video I clicked on had the guy or gal asking for subscriptions or follows or whatever and thanking people for them. The rest of the commentary was a combination of mostly unhelpful rambling about the game, common sense responses to moronic comments from the peanut gallery, and lame, unfunny attempts at humor.

I really feel like it's an age thing. As a 40 year old, most of these comments are simply too dumb or obvious to make me laugh anymore. I can imagine if I was 14, with no disposable income, watching these guys would be entertaining as the humor would be right up my alley and I wouldn't be able to buy most of the games I wanted so watching them is the next best thing.

As others have said, I wouldn't mind watching high-level fighting game competition, and I really enjoy Youtube shows like Game Sack where they showcase games and discuss them in a professional manner, so it's not like I don't want to watch games. I just don't care to see a few dudes sit on a couch and play a game normally while they blather and joke as if they smoked a joint right before they cut the camera on. It's just not entertaining to me in the least, but at least there's something for everyone out there.

 

[AR15mex]

you guys should try trihex. He is a yoshi's island speedrunner, and he is not begging for anything. He has the option there, but that's it. plus his streams are good. Just gameplay and every now and then some input from him.

 

[BacklashWave534]

Fuck off with that bullshit. If they feel wanna earn money for their work, they should.

I know you guys are still in your shitty crusade against twitch streamers, but I won't let you take them away from me.

I know right. I love Gaf because this is one of the only places to have adult conversations about gaming but every now and then you run into one of these childish hate threads(usually involving Twitch). I personally love Twitch and I'm glad the people that put in long hours of hard work are making money. People should do some research on the amount of work involved to be a successful full time streamer before making assumptions. Also, people spend tons of money to support multimillionaire athletes and performers so I don't see the issue with Twitch as long as it's providing entertainment to the viewer. If you don't like it don't watch it.

 

[Aizu_Itsuko]

I might just be too old for this new phenomenon, but I don't get the appeal for streams unless the game is old (PS2/GC or older) or the game is being played competitively and you're watching high level play.

It's emotional connection.

That's what the people streaming games are offering and people give them money in exchange for their time if they find enjoy it. That, by definition, is not begging. Begging would be to just ask for money without giving anything back. How is that any different to plenty of youtube channels, sites or forums?

 

[dork]

If im watching for entertainment I'll deal with it. if im watching to learn about a game or see if I would like the gameplay. I go for the very bottom of the list and find the person with 1 or 2 viewers and watch him play. Because its usually just the game

 

[Azzurri]

Hey, if you wanna be a dumb ass and throw money at something that you can watch for free be my guest, and good for them.

 

[MaximusPayne]

I stopped when most streams now have half the screen taken up by shit I don't want to see. Show the damn game, not your chat/subscribers/pretty border.

 

[Shuggananas]

you guys should try trihex. He is a yoshi's island speedrunner, and he is not begging for anything. He has the option there, but that's it. plus his streams are good. Just gameplay and every now and then some input from him.

Well he's been there forever actually, he's one of the pioneers of the speedrunning community (with siglemic, cosmo and friends)

 

[LightningXCE]

I think how Twitch Plays Pokemon is doing it now is brilliant.

It's playing randomized Pokemon Battle Revolution matches, but if you donate, you get to decide the team members.

 

[arevin01]

itsHafu is one of the biggest streamer guilty of this. Her whole screen is littered with ads and donation links. I don't see how ppl stand her stream she stops playing and thank ppl for donation when its a measley $5 or less.

 

[Opiate]

Possibly. I'm in my early twenties and now have a job to actually buy whatever I want. I guess the target demo is a few years younger and still can't afford each new game they want to play

I don't think that's the problem. Most of the top games are free (DotA, LoL, Hearthstone) or cheap (CS:GO).

Do you play a lot of competitive multiplayer games?

 

[Moon_frogger]

here's how I use twitch: every now and then I want to take a look at a well loved classic game. Instead of youtubing it i'll see if anybody is streaming it on twitch. I'll pick a streamer that has a low view count and check it out. 90 percent of the time they are an extremely cool person with no crappy overlay or annoying 'persona' or whatever. They'll stream the game, often just the game and some light commentary. you can ask them questions about the gameplay and they reply in real time. It's cool.

I dunno about the other stuff. The streaming culture. I think it's garbage. I don't think that makes me out of touch. Lots of popular things are unfathomably shitty, twitch culture really isn't any different.

 

[paragonpro]

The random guys that show up on the homepage of a game on xbl are the best, because the only reason they are featured is because there aren't a whole lot of other people playing the game., this one channel, onekepller is really cool. I watched him play alien isolation for two hours and it was maybe me and 20 other guys just having a chill conversation together with him, no donation spamming or anything like that. Idk how big he's gotten since then so that may have changed but it's one of the better twitch experiences I've had.

 

[Apathy]

itsHafu is one of the biggest streamer guilty of this. Her whole screen is littered with ads and donation links. I don't see how ppl stand her stream she stops playing and thank ppl for donation when its a measley $5 or less.

Well it's two things. One is going to sound sexist, but yes she's quite popular because she's a woman that streams and young guys like that. Equally important factor is she is good at hearthstone but also because she used to be really good at wow PvP and had a lot of fans from that (she played a really amazing resto druid). When I first saw her name I checked out her stream but I had to stop because of all the donation talk as well.

 

[E92 M3]

I stopped when most streams now have half the screen taken up by shit I don't want to see. Show the damn game, not your chat/subscribers/pretty border.

That's a whole other thread, but I avoid those streams as well.

 

[Fragamemnon]

itsHafu is one of the biggest streamer guilty of this. Her whole screen is littered with ads and donation links. I don't see how ppl stand her stream she stops playing and thank ppl for donation when its a measley $5 or less.

Hafu is actually super chill, really good at Hearthstone ,and her community team manages to have a chat that is not 110% cancer despite having thousands of viewers. She built a positive community and thanks members of that community for their contributions to keep the show going.

 

[gogosox82]

I've watched a few streams of a blind play through of Dark Souls the last few days. People are enjoying going on the journey with a new player. People have given tips on how basic mechanics of the game work that aren't actually explained in the game, but other than that spoilers have been purged if people have posted them.

I don't really see what is difficult to understand about it being fun to watch someone play a game for the first time under that setting. He just got to the swamp in Blightown and he thinks it is his favorite game of all time. It is fun to watch him figure things out and experience the game.

Well I've been in streams we're people don't even want you to tell them the basic mechanics that the game doesn't tell them. In that instance, I really don't see why you are steaming. I do see the value in watching someone stream a game they haven't played before. I had a lot of fun watching Patrick Klepek stream Dark Souls. I just don't see the value if you are a person who wants to discover those mechanics out by yourself since it kinds renders the chat pointless.

 

[NekoFever]

God, did you watch his bloodborne stream?

That was insufferable. He would stop playing for 5-10 minute periods periodically and progressed so, so slowly

Funnily enough, my first time seeing him was at the weekend when I was watching Bloodborne streams. It only took me a few minutes to get annoyed with him stopping playing every 30 seconds to do shout outs with echo on his voice to every new donor/subscriber.

 

[Inotti]

I usually watch streams that have only a few viewers and sometimes I'm the only viewer. The popular ones are usually those annoying kappa face streams with donation popups etc.

 

[Apathy]

God, did you watch his bloodborne stream?

That was insufferable. He would stop playing for 5-10 minute periods periodically and progressed so, so slowly

I watched him a few times when he first started and it was ok, stopped, saw him again as soon as bloodborne was out and wow, the change was unbearable. Stops to read out every donation, doing his echo "welcome to the man cave" every few seconds when he gets a sub, he gets so belligerent about when people chat about what hes doing wrong in a section telling them they will get banned cause hes not playing the game for them hes playing it for himself and his enjoyment. Well what the hell did he expect if there are thousands of people watching him fail at something easy. If he didn't want spoilers or tips then he shouldn't be streaming a game.