From the perspective of one with no prior knowledge of the gaming world, the concept of streaming may sound most peculiar. The idea that people have made careers, very successful ones by streaming themselves playing games sounds rather absurd. Add to that donations by viewers and influencer marketing and this topic may seem even more farfetched! Hold on a second, people actually donate money to gamers to support their stream?! I remember the look on my grandmother’s as I attempted to explain this to her. So, let’s have a brief look into this fascinating world of streamers and what make them so special.
With many different streaming sites, such as Twitch, Youtube Gaming, Azubu and many more, an entirely new side to gaming has opened up. Fans can sit at home, grab some popcorn and sit on the couch watching gamers play their favourite games. Perhaps conceived as strange to outsiders, this new form of entertainment is attracting over 140 million unique viewers monthly on Twitch alone! With millions of live streamers and such a vast range of style in gameplay, personality and creativity, there is a place for everyone in this form of entertainment. This is what makes streaming so popular and such a wonderful form of entertainment.
To understand this a little better, let’s look at a couple of the more popular streamers and see what makes them so special;
Shroud is a highly talented, highly successful streamer, with over 5 million followers on Twitch. Winning more than $200,000 in prize money from tournaments, and with a high income from daily streaming, Shroud has earned great success in eSports.
Summit1g has been streaming since 2012, and with over 3 million subscribers on Twitch, he has achieved great things in his short career. With a history as a pro gamer, and a long-term commitment to the industry, Summit1g has earned himself the reputation as a gaming legend.
Ninja is essentially a household name in the world of streaming. With over 12 million subscribers on Twitch, and appearing on the cover of ESPN magazine, Ninja is an ambassador for the sport and is a display of influence gained by streamers in the past few years.
Streamers are the personalities, the excitement and the ambassadors for future generations of eSports. They are bringing eSports to the limelight in a wonderful and exciting way, and with eSports on its long way up, streamers and streaming platforms are the future of this industry, and of entertainment as a whole.
