You’ve probably scrolled down the Twitch.tv homepage and seen a new game with TONS of viewers, surpassing the normal leading games even. Next thing to go through your mind is “Holy cr*p! I should be streaming that!!!”. (And if it’s not, whatever dude, just go with it for a second) The question is, should you actually be streaming that? That’s what this article is about. When is it okay to stream a New or Hyped game?
Some examples of New and Hyped Games
If we’re going with the most recent example we can use H1Z1, which is still getting a decent amount of viewers. Other examples of games that started HUGE and then plummeted in viewership would be games like ArcheAge, which used to get thousands and thousands of viewers among it’s streams, to now getting upwards of 500 in total. No hate towards a ArcheAge, it just happened to be a good and recent example. Another game, trying to stray away from an MMO that’s on-going, would be something like Shadow of Mordor. Unfortunately something like this get’s beaten and thrown to the side.
Now, I’d like to play Devils Advocate on myself for a second. A lot of the streamers that jumped on the ArcheAge bandwagon in time were able to have some great success. This means, the people who were able to take advantage of that viewership and convert viewers into followers, were then able to carry a lot of those followers over to whatever game they decided to swap to when it plummeted. But, how do you know when to take advantage of a random opportunity like this?
New vs. Hyped
So, is there and can there be a difference between New and Hyped games? Sure, of course. New games don’t always have to be Hyped, and some Hyped games don’t always have to be new, BUT knowing when a game is Hyped up and to take advantage is different then a game that is just getting a ton of views because it’s new and people want to check it out. That’s the main difference for you to observe.
Maybe that was a little confusing. Let’s look a bit deeper into it. Some streamers have the luxury of streaming brand new games as they come out and getting boatloads of viewers, mainly because, not only are they known for this, but they also have built up their following enough to do so.
Let’s use the games we’ve already discussed as an example. Shadows of Mordor may have been hyped up slightly, but it was just because it was a new game coming out. No one expected it to be a highly streamed game for months on end and be seen on the leading viewed games spots for a really long time. ArcheAge on the other hand was new and was also being hyped up as becoming a really amazing new MMO to kill WoW and kick WildStar, which was also new at the time, right in the face. That brought the MMO audience into it’s viewership. That gave an opportunity for those streamers to show that they were MMO Gamers and were building their following.
Another example would be Heroes of the Storm. It’s a fairly new MOBA and it’s just starting to open up it’s Beta doors a bit, and in turn it’s being viewed more. Well, from a streamers perspective, now is the perfect time to take advantage of the spot the viewership is at. This is where you begin building your following so that when it does eventually get even bigger, you already have a decent viewership and don’t find yourself falling way down on the list. This example is a bit different because we’re not talking about another overly Hyped New game, but it is a way to get in and take advantage of an opportunity.
The Luxury of Streaming New Games
I said it earlier, and I’ve also said it in other articles as well. It’s a luxury to be able to play new games as they come out. It’s a luxury a lot of Streamers that are entertainers are able to get away with. Obviously, high level gamers can get away with it as well, as long as they build themselves a loyal fan base behind them. If you’re planning on jumping around from game to game, you’re more then likely going to lose a couple followers here and there, because a lot of viewers are looking to see a specific game played. If you build up your fan base while playing one game, and you’re an entertainer and people begin coming to your channel to see you and also talk to your other channels, now you’re onto something. This is the point when you can test out streaming another game (new or just for fun), and see how your viewers react.