Streaming has sort of taken on a life of its own in the 21st century. It began with streaming services like Netflix, offering folks the ability to watch their favorite films and television shows from the comfort of their own home. However, from there, the practice developed rather immensely. Nowadays, streaming is much more associated with Twitch personalities, who broadcast themselves playing various video games.
Twitch stars are often called the celebrities of the future, as it seems that Gen Z are much more interested in the latest Ninja stream, than in the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film. But, the prevalence of these streamers has also caused a major debate as to whether or not they bring more gamers into the industry.
The Gaming Industry
Embed from Getty ImagesFirst of all, we have to start by mentioning that the gaming industry has experienced incredible growth in the 21st century. Not only are mainstream games making a lot more money than ever, but even indie games can hit it big in 2023. Notable examples include Hades, Cuphead, Binding of Isaac, etc.
Not only that, but the iGaming industry, a significant subgroup of gaming, is also incredibly popular. For those who don’t know, iGaming is sort of a catch-all term for online gambling. And with so many online casino options in 2023, it is no surprise that the industry is thriving. So, the question is, does it matter whether Twitch streamers encourage or discourage people from playing games?
The video game industry is doing just fine. Games are selling better than ever. There really seems to be no cause for concern as to whether or not fans of Twitch streamers will buy the game they are watching being played.
Do Twitch Streamers Help Game Sales?
Regardless, all evidence suggests that Twitch streamers do, in fact, have a positive impact on game sales. For an example, look no further than 2019’s release of Apex Legends. Electronic Arts did not put much effort into marketing the game. One day, they simply released the multiplayer battle arena game on Twitch, and within 24 hours, it had already garnered around 2.5 million players. In large part, this was related to Twitch streamers embracing and promoting the game, as well as streaming it live for their audience.
And Apex Legends is not the only example. Dozens of Triple A and indie games have made it big entirely thanks to Twitch. The formula for success is not all that hard to comprehend. Twitch stars see a game they like. They play it on stream. Their fans like the game as well. The fans buy the game and play it.
Conclusion
Based on the data gathered, it would seem that Twitch stars have, indeed, had an incredibly positive impact on the gaming world. The gaming industry has significantly grown in the 21st century, especially in the 2010s. Gaming is now more popular than ever before. And what is most interesting is that the main influence on people to buy games comes not from the top-most viewed streamers, but from the streamers with a smaller audience.
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