Back in the day online gaming was a private matter. People played with friends, family, or strangers, and there wasn’t much more to it. The game was only for the players, and besides those who have played, no one knew the outcomes of matches. With live streaming, all of that changed.
Today, we have online streaming platforms such as Twitch, YouTube and Kick, that have turned gaming into entertainment. Now, you don’t only have millions of users play the games, you have even more people in the audience watching them do it. Nowadays, it is possible to view the games, chat with players and other viewers, donate money, and even aid in shaping the stream.
Online gaming is no longer a hobby for people. It is viewed as a career, through content creation. During the last decade, thanks to the growth of technology, live streaming has become a part of online play. The games are now built with live streaming in mind. Thanks to it, Esports grew, and live casino games have become more popular than ever. It affected content creators and the way they earn money. Multiplayer games are now filled with different expectations from both the players and the viewers.
Many games are created with streaming in mind, others grow because of it, while some manage to survive past their expiration date thanks to massive online communities of people who stream it to this day. Games that are not watchable fail these days. Game visibility is as important as the gameplay, and that’s the reality of modern gaming.
Life Before Streaming
Before streaming, players interacted only within the game itself. Video content was there, but not as much as today. Titles such as Counter-Strike, War of Warcraft, and RuneScape had major communities but were restricted to voice chats, private servers, and game forums. Game clips were created once matches were done, and video montages were then uploaded to platforms such as YouTube. That’s how it all started, as live interaction was on a quite low level in the early 2000s. The audience was restricted to watching edited content, and live gameplay was nearly nonexistent. Once technology was up to date, and internet speed became what it is today, the doors to streaming were opened.
Early on, live streaming was a niche. It was not believed that anybody by hardcore gamers would be willing to watch other people play games. As far as online gambling goes, which is one of the most popular streaming contents as far as online gaming goes, it was hard to imagine that people would enjoy watching other folks play poker, or other casino games. Yet, these days we have celebrities streaming their roulette sessions, and millions of people following it (see Drake).
YouTube, Twitch & Kick
As far as streaming goes, without YouTube, Twitch, and Kick its landscape would be quite different. While YouTube was there in the early days of the internet, streaming really kicked off with Twitch, and it only got more user friendly with Kick. Twitch was launched in 2011 as a spiritual successor of Justin.tv, and it quickly became a hub for live streamers to gather up and share their content.
Its success came due to the fact that the idea on which it was created was simple. Create an account and broadcast live content. Live content changed everything for users. There was no editing, and delayed uploading. Everything went live. Viewers became part of each stream. They could watch, but also use the chat to leave comments, and thanks to this streaming communities started to grow. All of a sudden it wasn’t all about the games, but a tad bit about the people playing them.
Once streaming turned into social entertainment, it became evident that the users love the more personal touch it offered compared to YouTube clips or television. Streamers, even the most popular ones, felt like they were part of the crowd with their talks to the audience, responses to chat messages, and opinions they shared and accepted. With time the number of hours streamed grew, and so did the audience. A community that kept people together got rather loyal with time aiding in streaming being on constant rise, that consequentially still reshapes the world of online gaming.
Gaming Culture Shift Via Real Time Interaction
Live streaming was influential to how gaming culture moves. It created new trends and made everything faster. The most popular streamers are now able to make games popular or to lower their popularity among users. If you remember, a few years back, during the pandemic, games such as Among Us, Phasmophobia and Lethal Company grew in popularity as numerous streamers got together to play and stream it. Streaming changed the game people play, but also the way they learn about them. Now, the games are not learned through tutorials but by watching the best of the best playing them. Top players play, and the audience chats, asks questions, and grows through answers. With faster ways of learning, games now get more competitive faster, creating competition between players, and aiding in gaming culture grows faster than ever, regardless of the game we’re talking about.
Multiplayer Games Created for Viewers
Thanks to live streaming, the way games are created is now different too. Developers have noticed that many games are fun to play, but not so much to be viewed while others are playing. Games boring to watch are almost extinct among the latest editions. Nowadays, the games are designed to be playable, but also to appear good looking on stream. Modern multiplayer titles are created in such a way that they are appealing to streaming audiences. If you’re either playing/streaming/watching streams of new multiplayer titles you’ve certainly noticed the addition of spectator modes, replay systems, and cinematic cameras. Live event tools are now a must have addition to any new game. Games are entertainment products as if they were television back in the day, and the best example of this are the numerous battle royale games.
A few years ago, Fortnite exploded in popularity, and it was not so much about the game quality, which it has, but more about the fact that it was very much a game that works well live. Developers were quick to notice this, and in no time, the game had features such as live concerts, map events, and different other community experiences. Streaming was no longer used only to promote the games. It has started to shape the gaming industry itself on all levels.
Esports & Streaming
Esports precede live streaming. Yet, when live streaming got mainstream it aided Esports getting exposed to a much larger audience. Before Kick and Twitch Esports broadcasts existed, but were limited in reach. Viewers had to have access to special TV channels, Esports websites, or to watch the tournaments live. When streaming came around, all barriers were torn down. Today, all that it takes is to open your browser and to watch any tournament live. Esports such as Dota 2, CS2, or LoL were always popular, but with the addition of streaming and access everywhere the viewing experience changed and these games built even larger communities than ever before. Matches were no longer viewed in silence. Audiences now participate via live chats, react with players and other fans in real time, spread the memes instantly, and share big play moments as they occur. Thanks to streaming and direct access, Esports feel more like real sports today than they have ever before. This type of involvement from both the player, audience, and the streaming services, aided Esports in becoming more lucrative business, with tournaments now offering larger prize pools than ever before, bringing in sponsorships, and helping many Esports exiting their niche.
Streamers as a New Type of Celebrities
Before live streaming became a thing, gaming celebrities were usually Esports players, and YouTube content creators. With streaming, a new type of fame came around. You need to know that some of the most popular streamers today were not Esports players before they started streaming. Some got their popularity as they were entertaining, others did it by being able to build a massive following, while some just have the knack and personality for it. Viewers are no longer only interested in the player’s skill, but they pay attention to the entire streaming content that comes their way. Streamers are massive personalities in the gaming world, and this can be confirmed if you take a look at creators such as Ninja, Adin Ross, Trainwreckstv, or xQc.
Today, streamers are not only focusing on gaming. You can stream on any subject you like, such as music, sports, and different other forms of entertainment. The most popular streamers out there can attract more audiences than some traditional TV channels. It all comes down to the closeness you can have with your average celebrity streamer who will interact with all of the fans unlike traditional celebrities to whom most of us do not have any access. This connection creates loyalty, and that’s what matters in building larger streaming communities down the road.
Live Streaming Changed Online Casinos Too
If you thought that live streaming only changed Esports and multiplayer games, you were wrong. Online casinos changed too, and to a great extent. Not so long ago, most online casino games made players feel isolated. It was you vs. Computer, just pressing buttons, and hoping that a software will answer your calls and that lady luck will be on your side. There was no social interaction. It all changed when the live dealer games were introduced to live casinos. Today, most casinos have live dealer rooms where players can join other players and a live dealer for a session of roulette, blackjack, baccarat or poker. This content is streamed from professional studios, and dealers interact with players as if they were from a real casino. There are cameras everywhere, and chat systems put in place to establish the communication between the players and the casino.
Thanks to this, online casino games with live dealers feel more transparent than ever. The social element involved aids with this sensation. The best part is that people who stream their casino experience now tend to have more audience following them, as live dealers sessions are much more fun than when you’re playing against a software. Once the audience noticed this, it started to grow, and now we have a new type of entertainment audience that is focused on gambling endeavours of other people. It turns out that many people enjoy the excitement of high stake games when their money is not on the line.
Of course, there are risks that come with streaming gambling. While some people tend to enjoy quality sessions in a casino, and others simply love to see other people play the games they love, and learn in the process, others can get encouraged to try something themselves, risky, and irresponsible, which is why some streaming platforms have restrictions and guidelines on the gambling content. Despite the downsides, the online gambling streaming niche continues to grow as it turns out that live streaming and online gambling go hand in hand better than anyone could have envisioned it to go.
What’s Next For Live Streaming?
It will continue to evolve. As far as modern entertainment technologies go, streaming is rather young. With the way technology all around develops by the day, the bright days are ahead of the streaming industry and the people who have helped in creating it. What most of us await are the improvements to AR and VR technology that would add even more reality to online streaming experience. As a niche that keeps on evolving, it is interesting to see that the principles of streaming remain the same. A shared live experience will remain in its core, with the growth being seen the most in Esports, casinos streams, and different other segments of streaming that are yet to be developed. It is all about being able to do what you like as far as gaming goes, and be watched live and grow your community in the process. With enough time and quality content most of us could become the next Ninja, or Adin Ross.
