Introduction
In the past few years, the term “Twitch” and “Streaming” has become synonymous with
video games. The live streaming platform debuted in 2011 and swiftly rose to become
one of the most popular websites in the United States that allows gamers to have a
platform to compete and make a successful high paying career from it. Twitch became
the go-to internet video game streaming service in a span of a few years and rose to
immense popularity. Its the ideal service for casual gamers looking to meet others who
share their interests. Its a profitable platform for savvy players that may be skillfully
used to generate significant cash and make a career out of gaming, becoming a
ProGamer. However, there are certain drawbacks to becoming a full-time streamer, and
it may not be the greatest job decision for everyone.
However, lets first look into the good aspects of streaming as a career path.
Multiple sources of Income
If you are going to struggle to pay your vital bills, you should not take on a full-time job.
You do not need to be concerned if your focused efforts result in you being a well-
known streamer in a given sector. Twitch offers a subscription button that allows you to
earn consistent and long-term revenue from your viewers (Onvideo, 2019). Subscription
fees, on the other hand, are not the most lucrative sources of income (Sjoblom, 2019).
As a token of appreciation for what you’re doing, kind fans will frequently send you tips
as one-time payments (Sjoblomet al, 2019).
As a streamer, you can also earn money by selling advertisements based on the
amount of people who watch your streaming channel.multiple methods of income
(Sjoblomet al, 2019). If you’re a popular streamer with a lot of viewers, it’ll make up a
major amount of your total income(Sjoblomet al, 2019).
Lastly, big brands looking to expose their products to your large audience can pay top
dollar in sponsorship or brand deals to incentivize you to use and feature their products
during streams (Sjoblomet al, 2019). However, you will have to put in a lot of work to
generate a substantial income (Sjoblomet al, 2019).
Gaming as a career requires only a few resources
Even though the common misconception about gaming is that it would be an expensive
career pathway, it is actually very affordable and easy to delve into (Sjoblomet al, 2019).
All one needs is a smart phone, computer or a laptop with a good camera (Sjoblomet al,
2019). They just need to make an account on Twitch and then stream their games
online for viewers to watch. No special equipment or software is needed (Sjoblomet al,
2019).
Live streaming is much quicker and easier compared to writing articles, blogging,
vlogging and being a content influencer on social media channels (Sjoblomet al, 2019).
Live streaming of Twitch can be accessed through just a click! One can stream their
game from any place in the world at any point of time, connecting you to a worldwide
audience. Live streaming on Twitch has risen in popularity as a potential way of
reaching large audiences thanks to social media (Sjoblomet al, 2019). One is able to
share authentic real-time, quality content on the internet through a thousand links as a
full-time streamer (Sjoblomet al, 2019).
For people who don’t have a full time job, gaming is a great way to earn a bit of extra
cash by live streaming on twitch through building an audience (Bingham, 2020).
ProGamers make upto 6 figure salaries per year, which would allow them to lead stable
and comfortable lifestyles(Bingham, 2020). As a Pro-Gamer becomes more and more
famous, they can potentially attract brand sponsorships, advertisement roles and gigs
(Bingham, 2020). These would not only increase your fan base (audience) but also
annual income (Bingham, 2020). Of course at the end one has to put in enough effort to
earn a substantial income (Bingham, 2020).
Make a living from your passion
When it comes to becoming a streamer, or any other job for that matter, you must start
small and work your way up (Bingham, 2020). Yes, it takes a lot of effort, but making it
to the top tier of players pays off handsomely for all of your blood, sweat, and tears.
However, as a streamer, you do not need to look for a 9-to-5 job or stay in one if you
already have one (Bingham, 2020). If you’ve always loved playing games since you
were a kid, live streaming gives you the opportunity to pursue your hobby without
having to worry about being laid off or getting underpaid for all the work that you’ve
been doing (Bingham, 2020).
Nevertheless, if you decide to go full-time with live streaming, you must take solid
actions. It allows you to have more control over your work, allows you to work in a
comfortable environment of your choosing, build networks by meeting new and
intriguing people, foster your passion, and free up time to pursue personal interests and
hobbies (Bingham, 2020).
Furthermore, as a good streamer, you can earn significantly more than you would in
most huge corporations (Bingham, 2020). To deal with instances when revenue falls,
you’ll need to manage your money like any other entrepreneur (Bingham, 2020).
The most Popular Twitch ProGamers can earn upto a total of 20 million dollars per
annum, although that is when a gamer successfully attains the pro status, beginners
don’t earn much initially but as stated before, you need to work your way up through the
ranks. The grind never stops (Bingham, 2020).
Additional income can also be made fairly easily through live streaming, although one
will need to diversify their earning streams (Bingham, 2020). Established Twitch users
normally obtain a few donations from their subscriber base, and exceptionally
successful users can also take advantage of advertisement and gig money (Bingham,
2020).
Though streaming can have many benefits, there are also many drawbacks which
makes it an extremely challenging career to pursue.
The initial stages of becoming a streamer is hard to get through
The first few days of streaming can be frustrating, especially when you realize how few
people are watching despite the fact that you’ve been streaming for hours for a couple
of days (Joden and Strandell, 2020). To be effective at streaming, you must put a huge
amount of commitment. The difficulty stems from the way the twitch algorithm operates
(Joden and Strandell, 2020). Basically, only streamers with more viewers are favored on
Twitch, and they are the ones that are usually featured on the main page of the website,
making it even more difficult for new broadcasters to break in because there is already
fierce competition on the website (Joden and Strandell, 2020).
The discovery problem is the most pressing issue in the early phases (Joden and
Strandell, 2020).This means that there aren’t many options for people to find your video
on Twitch. It’s not like YouTube, where people may find you by Googling for video game
tips and ending up on your channel (Joden and Strandell, 2020). The only way people
will find you is if they go straight to your channel. There is no other content on your
channel that is attracting viewers and that is why it is difficult for Twitch streamers to be
discovered, they have nothing to put on display for everyone to see (Joden and
Strandell, 2020).
Being a streamer can be overwhelming and can take a toll
Being a Twitch streamer can certainly be slightly daunting at times due to the amount of
pressure one might face in order to perform well (Kumar, n.d)
When it comes to gaming, it is either all about the gamer’s performance and wins, or
about their earning (especially those that use this as their sole source of income
(Kumar, n.d).
ProGamers that hold a very high level may feel as though they have an obligation to win
and perform their best during every live stream (Kumar, n.d). As time passes, this can
affect their mental state and in turn cause them to start performing poorly due to stress,
and in severe circumstances it would take the joy of gaming away (Kumar, n.d).
Streamers may become so engrossed in their work, especially if it is their primary
source of money, that they lose track of time away from the computer (Kumar, n.d)
Their health, relationships, and social lives may all be jeopardized as a result of the
excessive hours of streaming that might be done in order to earn more money or
establish a bigger profile for oneself (Kumar, n.d).
In the case that one has established themselves as a prominent full-time streamer,
knowing when to take a break might be one of the most difficult obstacles they’ll face.
It’s normal to assemble an audience from many time zones (Kumar, n.d) Even if they
are devoted, most of them will find it really hard to view a live stream throughout the
night hours at odd hours (Kumar, n.d)
Hence, one needs to study the pattern of their subscribers and viewers preferences,
which games they enjoy streaming more, and ones they don’t (Kumar, n.d). This can be
solved through data analytics that detect when a large number of your followers are
online is one technique to deal with the problem. You may also let your viewers know
when your live broadcast will be available (Kumar, n.d)
Making a mistake online can lead to a downfall in your career
Since one creates content as a Live Stream, while broadcasting it live there isn’t an
opportunity or way to change or alter any errors, losses or mistakes, or let alone
anything that you’ve said during the live stream (Berry, n.d). Although many followers
may be understanding that it is human nature to make mistakes, some may want to
cause harm to the streamers reputation just for fun and choose to make a mockery or
memes out of them, or even pull up clips from the past that may have been funny at the
time but are now being used to pull down the streamer (Berry, n.d). This over time after
repetition can lead to defamation and downfall in one’s career through their “overly
critical” fans (Berry, n.d).
There are also certain things that can go wrong during one’s stream, such as technical
difficulties that prevent you from live streaming to your followers, rebooting and system
updates of your electronic devices in the middle of a game, trouble with connecting to
stable internet sources and lack of sufficient bandwidth, physical disturbances,
background noises etc. are some of the few ways in which a live stream can be
disrupted (Berry, n.d).
Although a hardware encoder is not perfect for all streams, it is an easy solution to
eliminate such interruptions (Berry, n.d). The best solution is using multiple devices
during the live stream to ensure that the broadcast is not interrupted in the chance of
any complications (Berry, n.d).
In order to be successful and retain a good reputation on Twitch and live streaming
channels, one must be well-prepared by ensuring all of the equipment is in place and
works, other materials needed for a session are ready and within reach (Berry, n.d). As
you acquire more experience with full-time streaming, you will improve and make less
mistakes, and in time lesser critics will come your way (Berry, n.d).
Conclusion
Even though we witness a lot of great streamers, reaching that level of success takes a
long time. And if you don’t achieve that degree of accomplishment, you’re likely to burn
out and become overwhelmed. Even if you want to pursue streaming as a job, it won’t
be easy unless you’ve already created a significant fan base that revolves around the
content you’ll be producing. And, to get started with streaming, you’ll need to invest a
significant portion of your savings, which you won’t be able to do indefinitely. So, can
you say that streaming is the best option for a career? Both yes and no. The response
varies from person to person, depending on whether or not that individual is willing to
take on the enormous amount of risks involved.
References
1. Sjöblom, M., Törhönen, M., Hamari, J., & Macey, J. (2019). The ingredients of
Twitch streaming: Affordances of game streams. Computers In Human Behavior,
92, 20-28 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563218304965
2. Bingham, C. M. (2020). Talking about Twitch: Dropped Frames and a normative
theory of new media production. Convergence, 26(2), 269–286.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856517736974
3. Jodén, H., & Strandell, J. (2021). Building viewer engagement through interaction
rituals on Twitch.tv. Information, Communication & Society, 1–18.
https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118x.2021.1913211
4. OnVideo. (2019). Streaming for a Living: Pros and Cons of Being a Full-time
Streamer. Onvideo. https://onvideo.org/streaming-for-a-living-pros-and-cons-of-
being-a-full-time-streamer/
5. Kumar, S. (n.d). The Pros and Cons of Twitch. Gamer Discussion Hub.
https://gamersdiscussionhub.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-twitch/
6. Berry, S. (n.d). What live streaming platform should you use?. Video Maker.
https://www.videomaker.com/how-to/online/what-live-streaming-platform-should-
you-use/
Hi Fatima,
Your paper has demonstrated really well what Twitch and Streamers are and the functions of being a streamers/ Twitch streamers. One of the things I would like to point out is that you don’t have to be invested in being a professional gamer or a Pro gamer to stream. Not everyone who watches twitch streamers are going into a professional gamer career, the majority of them watch twitch or streamers for entertainment and for many other reasons that need to be considered. The same goes for the streamers, they don’t have to be professional gamers or even be good at what they are streaming. The streaming career success is determined by your personality, skills, story telling, trends, and luck.
Hi Mini,
Thank you for reading my blog and sharing your thoughts on the subject. I do concur that not everyone who watches streamers is entering the major leagues and pursuing a career in professional gaming. But let’s talk about the streamers and how good they are at a specific game. The factors you’ve raised, like their personality and storytelling, are unquestionably influenced by the streamer’s true identity and their ability to draw a sizable audience to their content. Now, though, let’s discuss the “Content”. You mentioned three things, therefore let’s examine them in more detail: skills, trends, and luck. When discussing a streamer’s abilities for their live stream, there are two components to consider: One is how streamers captivate viewers’ attention by making their live streams even more exciting and enjoyable to watch. They play the game second. Yes, you could be right that a streamer doesn’t have need to be skilled at the game to have an entertaining show, but in order to become well-known, there needs to be a certain degree of talent that attracts viewers. People demand high skill gameplay, and they want to see high level players interact with or even troll new players on live streams to create hilarious moments. However, these moments can only be created by players who have a solid grasp of the game’s mechanics. Once a streamer has established their reputation, they can expand into new games, even if they aren’t the best at them yet because they have amassed so many viewers by that point. However, let’s imagine they lose the game or get ridiculed in the new game they are playing. These days, many video games allow you the option to watch other players play after you’ve lost. This is when your luck factor comes into play. Because the small-time streamer made a good play and managed to defeat the big streamer, the big streamer noticed them and gave them some recognition. However, this only happened because the small-time streamer had better gaming skills than the big streamer, so in the end, it was their gaming abilities that earned them that recognition Even though they may not yet hold the title of professional gamer, that is only the beginning. As the streamer gains popularity, they will play the game more and become better at it, further establishing their reputation. With this increased exposure, they may eventually partner with the game and even participate in tournaments and events that the game’s primary company hosts. Yes, of course this depends on luck, but what first set off this chain of events was the proficiency of this little streamer. Finally, coming to your last point of trends. As mentioned in the above example the reason as to why the big twitch streamer might’ve stumbled upon the game and the small-time streamer might’ve been because the big streamer’s viewers are constantly commenting on this new game being really good and a must play therefore convincing the streamer to move onto this newer game which is now the new trend of the gaming community as a whole.
Hi Fatima,
Good insights streamers. As you actually point out being a streamer overwhelming and stressful since you have to give out the best of yourself to ensure the propagation of good online games. I think it is like influencers, marketers and so on that share their content on social media platforms which sometimes may also be a form of stress for them since they will like to provide the best content for their followers. However, I think they are also content creators because while they might be well known on their twitch stream they are also known on Instagram, Facebook, and youtube, and therefore I disagree with the fact that it may be a bad career prospect. However, do you think these streamers bring a plus to society? why?
Hi Pierrine,
I appreciate you reading the blog and sharing your insightful opinions. There is no question in my mind that Twitch streamers are content makers because I have personally seen a lot of them and enjoy their stuff. I do think that streamers can benefit society, both directly and indirectly, as a spectator myself. Let’s discuss how they can directly benefit society. Although it may sound like streamers are only interested in using viewers for their own gain, this is not always the case. Streamers are constantly striving to engage with followers and establish a brand for themselves. Some streamers genuinely love their followers and are close to them because their followers are what made them famous in the first place. As a result, these streamers who value their followers almost always want to thank their followers for helping them become well-known in the gaming community and return the favors. Streamers can have a significant impact on their fan bases, thus those that engage in events for charitable purposes can also attract a significant number of their fans who share the same beliefs as the streamer. Streamers have a live chat that takes place while their stream is in progress, which is a benefit to society indirectly. Here, a large number of individuals express their opinions on many topics or offer their feedback on the streamer’s gameplay. While all of this is going on, viewers can interact with one another, even become close friends, and possibly arrange to meet up outside of the stream if they are in the same city or country. Another method for this to work is for viewers to participate in the game while simultaneously watching with their new friends and creating more memories. The majority of the time, people who watch a twitch stream do so because they enjoy the content being streamed by the streamer, but occasionally, viewers may be watching these streams merely in the hopes of meeting other like-minded individuals and forming connections with them off-stream, giving these viewers an even better social life than they otherwise might have. Streamers, in my opinion, can positively impact society if they support a worthwhile cause, are decent people, and give back to their audience. They can improve people’s lives, and the content they create can help people get through difficult times and give them something to look forward to almost every day.
Hi Fatima, great topic. I feel like this topic is very important for people who were thinking of becoming streamers as a career. I especially appreciate how you viewed each issue differently and discussed it in detail with useful information.
Hi Hiba, thank you for taking the time to go through the article and glad you enjoyed the topic.
Hey Fatima,
You present a well informed argument that addresses your theses, especially as you cover the topic on both its merits, and letdowns. You present important views with regards to the challenges that streamers/gamers might face, and how this contributes to the difficulty of this field. Additionally, you also mention the difficulty lifestyle that these streamers face across mental, physical, and social relevances.
Have a look at this blogpose by Kashif (2020) as he subjectively describes the life of becoming a twitch streamer, including some of the challenges and highlights. Additonally, he also shares some insight and tips on becoming a streamer.
https://eliakashifofficial.medium.com/the-life-of-a-twitch-streamer-twitch-streamers-gaming-and-streaming-lifestyle-3e58c2b2c971
I hope this adds value to your paper, and presents some valuable insight from a first-hand gamer/streamer. Well done overall!
Hi Baher,
Thank you for taking the time to read my article and for providing another article in order for me to add more value to my paper, I appreciate it and will definitely have a read.
Hi Fatima,
First of all your choice of topic is different and great. Secondly your paper is very interesting and informative. You explained in your paper why streamer can be a bad career prospect but I want to ask you why you chose this topic for your conference paper?
Hi Sumeri,
Thanks for taking the time to read my article and hope you enjoyed it. Answering your question, my brother and I are quite interested in video games and Twitch, so I decided to write about it. Being a viewer myself, I always thought that streaming was a fun and exciting career to pursue, but I also knew that there had to be some drawbacks. For this reason, I decided to write about it because, despite the fact that it may be a career that anyone would want, I think that most people only ever see the fame and glamour and tend to ignore the behind-the-scenes of this movie that is a streamer’s life.