Streaming and E-sports

Live streaming is a concept developed a while ago in which a person streams a game or other action over the internet through a live feed so that viewers may see what is going on as it happens. With this, E-Sports have made their claim to fame using live streaming to their fullest extent and bringing fans closer to events that are otherwise inaccessible to many people.

People have taken quite a liking to this new form of entertainment as it allows them to view their favorite players of games such as League of Legends and StarCraft 2 play in real time, and in some cases even interact with the players through live chat. One of the best features of live streaming is that major tournaments and gamers have figured out its potential and have begun streaming most of their of their games and tournaments, allowing people from all over the world to be a part of the event without having to travel the immense distance to get there or wait to view it after it’s been recorded and released to the public. 

As great as streaming is, and as cool as it would be to be able to make a living off of the income that can be present in streaming for long periods of time, it can be very difficult to get the recognition and viewers to make any money, let alone enough to live off of. To help this, many site such as Twitch.tv, and Own3d.tv have sections where people can surf through streamers and view newer broadcasters as well.

“The key is to innovate and carve out your own niche.” – Sean ‘Day [9]’ Plott, on how to become successful in Esports.

Esports are a great thing for the gaming community. They allow us to gather as larger group and help bring in new people to the scene, thus growing the community; however, there are two key components to having successful esports: the players, and the viewers. The players have their own lives and drama which is interesting to the viewers, as it goes with all celebrities; however, the players also attract viewers with their unique play styles, wins, losses, excreta. Game designers to have their role with this, as the games they produce will affect the viewers and players. As Mr. Browder said for his game StarCraft in an interview, “StarCraft 2” was conceived from the start to offer a good experience for spectators”. It’s imperative that a game is equally fun to watch as it is to play if they want any viewer count.

               

As it stands, streaming is only going to keep getting better, and its certainly helping the game industry grow. What will help streaming and E-Sports reach the next level is all dependent on the willingness of designers and players. Who knows, with time, maybe E-sports will end up in the Olympics!

By: Ayrton Hunt