So for the last six months or so I've heard about Twitch a lot and it's been getting more and more frequent. It's actually only recently dawned on me how massive it currently is as I've seen it cropping up in various news reports and so on. So I figured I'd check it out.

Disclaimer: I do enjoy watching play through of various sorts, Sips' Skyrim playthrough is one of my all time favourite playlists, I follow a lot of the Yogscast material in general and several Pokemon centric Youtubers.

My problem with Twitch might be grounded in the fact that I'm not as keen on live streams when I can watch a playlist of videos. It might be because I'm just clicking on the wrong streamers and not seeing top quality content.

Either way, I just don't get the hype and end up switching back to watching playthrough on YouTube.

Regardless of my moaning though, I'd like to find out about other member's perceptions and experiences with Twitch.

Do you use it regularly and how often? Have a favourite... I don't even know... Twitcher? Is that word a thing?

What, if anything, makes it enjoyable to you?

 

People like the live ones because they can interact with the streamer in real time as they play via the comments.

 

I agree with you. I don't really like streams unless there's heavy viewer participation.

Even then, I value being ability to skip to content I enjoy rather than watching it slowly.

Obviously, there's some exceptions, but that's still usually because they involve the audience more than anything about the stream being enjoyable compared to recordings.

 

I use it mostly for background noise. It's pretty cool for when I'm doing something and just tab in to check what's going on.

Also, I also think it's really good for watching people play single player games since most of them aren't really worth the money and I can check out if it seems fun.

 

I like twitch a lot. My favorite streamer is LSV, and he is very interactive with viewers, which is great. I also watch Critical Role on it when it's live, because otherwise you have to wait for it to get posted to youtube and last I checked youtube was behind by a few weeks.

Also, I stream a bit, though I have no real expectations of followers.

 

I watch Twitch daily, for various games or events. I can say that it's a completely different experience from watching Youtube videos, and comparing the two is unfair.

With Youtube, you get the final product as it is meant to be presented, with a goal for each video, editing to at least some degree, etc.
With streaming (the term is streamers, as opposed to youtubers, btw) you get them as they experience the game in real time. Now that in itself can vary, from people who play something for the first time, to pro players who stream the same game every day for a living.

I watch some of my favorite streamers more for their personality than the game they play, though a good streamer will draw you with his unique playstyle or approach to the game.

Interactivity with the streamer is part of the draw, but not a major one imo, as with the more popular ones (who gather tens of thousands of viewers concurrently) interaction is almost impossible unless you're a sub or a donator. Even so, you watch him interact with those particular people, and each streamer has their own approach to that.

To me, it feels sort of hanging out with that person, who livestreams gameplay for 6, 8 or more hours. The streamer talks to us, encompassing all of his viewers, sure, but he directly addressees us for this or that, etc.

Each streamer takes to streaming differently. Some have strict rules and focus on providing instructions for gameplay, others give zero fucks and let everything become a clown fiesta, others are somewhere in the middle, but each one has his own unique personality that, over time, is reflected on his viewerbase to the point that regular viewers of each major streamer can be distinguished from each other.

Then there is the fact that if you watch a stream, there is just tons more actual content than youtube videos. Not all of them are highlights that would make it to a youtube (though plenty are) but watching a good streamer play for hours can be incredibly educational, because it shows you the entire process, not just the final product. From the birth of the idea, to trial and error, to finally success or failure, you see the whole thing unfold and watch the streamer react to each part of the process.

As I said, it's a lot different from youtube, and serves a different function.

 

I liken it to a live sit-com. There are fans that will sit through the live recording, but I prefer to watch the edits on youtube later.

My exception to this is live speedruns, the marathons in particular, as something to distract while at work.

 

The fuck? You're watching someone play persona 5?!

How does it feel to know no eventual waifus will be rightfully yours scrub?

Just buy a second hand ps4 already.

Also re Twitch, some games lend themselves better to streaming than others. I can't imagine a Pokemon (or any grindy rpg really) being a good watch.

Competitive / Sandbox games do well though...

I watch a lot of Hearthstone and Overwatch. I play a lot of WoW, I'd never watch a stream of it...

(actually, I often watch HS streams while playing WoW :3)

 

Clearly, you missed the Twitch Plays Pokemon clown fiesta. Shit was dank.

 

There was a 24-hour Twitch stream once by Mang0, a professional Melee player, where he went on a beer run and managed to lock himself out of the house. With Ocean Man playing on loop. The Twitch chat quickly turned it into a meme, and now lyrics to the song get posted any time he plays in tournament.

That, to me, is the real reason to watch Twitch. If he were doing a 24-hour let's play or something for Youtube, not only would nobody watch it, but he wouldn't even have thought to post the failed attempt where he locked himself out of the house. But on Twitch? That shit becomes your anthem.

 

Pokemon is genuinely great to watch on YouTube. There are some fantastic Nuzlockes, Wonderlockes, Egglockes and Soul Links out at the minute.

As far as Twitch goes, I do imagine watching Competitive or Pro Speed runs works well on it.

I'm starting to get a picture as to why people like it, it seems to be largely about the community aspect. Part of my problem is that I'd like to watch a stream from the start rather than dropping in. Let's say I want to watch someone play Skyrim. I'd prefer to be there from the start.

 

For me watching Twitch streams has filled the niche of time that used to be spent idly flicking through channels on tv when there's nothing to watch.

 

I will be very much surprised if it's not day and date with US (valentine's day). If not, import it. No region lock on playstation.

Twitch plays Pokemon isn't Pokemon, it was a fascinating social experiment.

And I'm genuinely shocked people watch Pokemon on YT...

 

Watching two funny streamers playing a Soul Links Nuzlocke is entertaining. Especially in the case of guys Like Shady and Nappy where one guy is far better than the other which leads to countless entertaining, death filled episodes.

 

We Euros feel your pain. SMT 4 Apocalypse doesn't, either. Atlus hates everyone that isn't American or Japanese, for some reason.

 

Recommend some good streamers to follow for the games you guys have mentioned?

 

If you're at all interested in watching Nuzlockes then Team Four Star have some brilliant and funny content. Shady and Nappy are also doing an amazing faeries of Soul Link Nuzlockes, thiugh at times Nappy is a bit boisterous for my liking.

Team Double Dragon have a good Hearts of Iron 4 playthrough where they each took a Scandinavian country. It ends in disaster but they recently started three Racist South American countries.

If you're into Skyrim, Sips has the best playthrough hands down.

Everything the Yogscast in general do is pretty good, actually. They have like 20 series of Multiplayer Civ V.

 

Some of the people I follow are:
Froggen, Krepo, flosd (BoxBox), mushigosu for League.
Reynad27, savj, thijs, kolento, disguisedtoastHS for Hearthstone. (Also Forsen for dat clown fiesta)
Polt, liquidthermy (uThermal), startalebomber, Rotterdam08 for SC2. Bomber hasn't streamed in ages
TripleWreck, Datto for Destiny.
GeekandSundry for RPG.
And some other misc that I can't remember.