Meet The Hang Out Streamers, who do not have to be good at games to stream
Many starting streamers wonder if they have to be good at video games to stream. Also, smaller streamers may ask themselves whether they are not getting views because of their gameplay. Well, in this post I will answer this question for you.
In fact, you have many possibilities for your channel’s climate. Being a top player or speedrunner are not the only options. Actually, numerous people watch streamers just to have somebody to hang out with. This is especially important in the light of COVID-19 lockdowns. Therefore, you can often see casual smaller streamers with a regular audience of over 20 people. (Epstein, 202) (Reddit, 2018)
How do they do that? Don’t worry, I’ve done the research for you.
So, let me introduce you to the hang out streamer types.
The Friend
Imagine having friends from all around the World. A lot of friends. Friendly streamers usually are very kind and have extraordinary memory when it comes to remembering details about their numerous watchers. They often have their own Discord servers and descent social media following. They don’t hesitate to reply to your comment or ask you a question. No wonder why their community is so strong. They are often happy to give other streamers shout-outs, host channels or raid. No wonder why their kindness is usually returned. (Hernandez, 2018)
The Entertainer
Some people stream just to make others laugh. They either tell jokes themselves or get special props. Examples of such are funny overlays, clips, spectacular in-stream notifications like new follows, ridiculous chat commands, creative channel coin prizes etc. Also, they like to dress up in an… interesting way. They truly love make up and head accessories! Many of them have social media to make sure you will not miss the latest funny clip from their channel, or just to troll fellow streamers. Memes? Well, they’re their Bible. (Conlan, 2020)
The Cool Guy
You probably have stumbled upon those cool, confident gamer streamers, who no matter what, always have viewers. They usually play those popular games in the multiplayer mode. You can hear more or less clearly their mysterious teammates communicating with each other. Basically, everyone is shooting and running and it is hard to keep up. Yet, you’re watching perplexed. Naturally, it does not apply to the shooters like Call of Duty exclusively. Also, you can meet some loners playing that one game which used to be popular and apparently is good now for a casual gameplay. You can sense that they play whatever makes them happy and stream whenever they want. You do not have to be good at games to stream like them, but you should have at least mediocre level, since your playthrough is your story. (Reddit, 2020)
The Attractive One
You have probably heard of the successful gamer girl stereotype with big breasts and cute looks. Well, this is one of the way you can attract your audience. Like in real life, many people like to see pretty women or handsome men. Just look at the trending streamers like Ninja and Pokimane. (Hore, 2020) Nonetheless, there are other attention-grabbing qualities. People can be drawn by your make up, clothing, and hair style; as well as body language and voice. When it comes to the latest one, it is usually a combination of naturally deep voice or a fetishized accent and a high quality mic. Recently, it seems to be getting more attention at the video games streaming. For instance, in October 2020 Corpse Husband, who is a non-webcam deep-voiced streamer, is trending thanks to his Among Us commentary. (Leber, 2020) (Van Edwards, 2020)
Go Hard or Go Home
You might have come across a long-term Twitch user telling you to stream every day for 4 hours. While this tactic is outdated, there are still streamers using it. They would often cut on their sleep or working hours for the sake of the peak viewership time window. You may be under impression that they stream 24/7 since you just can’t keep up with their broadcasts. Besides, they either play the same game forever just to master it, attempt to speedrun as many games as possible or have an endless collection of video games for every stream. Anyway, they sacrifice for you, so why not stop by. (Hernandez, 2018)
The Professional
Best equipment, advanced stream overlays, professional logos, superb Internet speed, some streamers would invest everything to get the highest stream quality possible. You can see no flaws at their streams. Thus, chat comments of watchers impressed by the new fancy mouse they have just showed off are not unusual. They always stay up-to-date with the latest streaming tools and trends. Unsurprisingly, you often see them on Tweeter responding to postings about the latest gaming technology e.g. upcoming Playstation 5. Consequently, their viewers rely on them for their ultimate streaming experience. (Andronico, 2020)
The Woke One
Sometimes, you come to the stream and this random person is passionately sharing some rare, yet vivid ideas. These can be either about the details of the game they’re playing or stemming from the topic their viewer just tackled. These online philosophers are directly expressing their views and ideas to their intrigued viewers, who are too engaged to leave before the monologue or debate ends. Moreover, the ”woke ones” have strong personal expression. For instance, they have unusual looks and stream overlays consisting of the art pieces they had made themselves. Not everyone understands them enough to stick around, but those who do, are loyal fans. (Hernandez, 2018)
You do not have to be good at games to stream
So, does becoming one of those streamer types make you successful? Most certainly not. My intensive 2-month-long Twitch investigation on different age, gender and game categories concluded that the more types a streamer could fall under, the higher their average viewership was. But of course, there are exceptions. Generally, the point of this post is to show you there are many methods you can use. Master your strengths and learn new skills, and you’ll see yourself grow. (Twitch, 2020)
