▶ BCM240 Media, Audience, Place
Introduction
For my research project I will be researching about video game streamers and exploring the different experiences from two key perspectives: a gamer/streamer’s perspective VS. a fan’s perspective.
Background
When we were younger our parents always told us not to sit too close to the TV while playing video games and not to play them all day, but what if I told you that up until now; there are people who do play video games for a living. In other words it is called live streaming, typically those who stream use one of the two most commonly used platforms when streaming — Facebook or Twitch (the use of both as well is possible). Most streamers’ origins are typically the following: they enjoy gaming, they want to share their experience and/or skills to others and/or they want to make a living from something they enjoy doing (Minor, 2017). Whether it is popular FPS (first-person-shooter) games or even small indie games, streamers either follow an algorithm with what the biggest games are at the moment or they choose the most unique and different ones in an attempt to ‘stand out’ from the sea of gamers and streamers.
With this research project, I want to explore two different perspectives in the gaming community. I want to determine the differences and similarities of the streamer and the fan. With becoming a streamer, they will always start with just a few ‘fans,’ sometimes it is just their close friends that will be supporting them at first — but once word gets out to friends of friends about the streamer, that’s typically where the start of their career blossoms.
Methodology
I will look into the lives of streamers and what it takes for them to start their career in gaming. Furthermore, I will also look into what it takes to become a streamer and what differentiates them from one another since there are multiple kinds of streamers that stream the same content but with their own ‘style’. I will then look into the eyes of the fans of streamers, I will try and see what exactly is different about their lifestyle before becoming a fan and after.
I have a friend who is currently a streamer on Facebook so I will be interviewing him. I will be asking questions about how he started and what motivated or got him to even wake up one day and think I’m going to start streaming. I will also ask about the difficulties he faced and if there were ever any instances where he felt that this ‘streaming’ thing won’t work out. I will then ask a fan of his alongside with some of my experience since I saw my friend start off his streaming career from when he only had a few fans following him.
Stakeholders
My main stakeholders are one or two streamers, one that I personally know and one that has years of experience which I will find through secondary research. My other stakeholder are the fans, I will find one from my friend’s fans and one from secondary research.
Execution
I plan to make a video project where you can see the interviewees as well as myself as the interviewer, I will also provide photographic sources and overlay music that is both relatable to my research project and engaging.
References
- Minor, J. (2017). Twitch and Beyond: The Best Video Game Live Streaming Services. Retrieved 3 July 2020, from https://www.pcmag.com/news/twitch-and-beyond-the-best-video-game-live-streaming-services
Jessica Pauline Camille Ablog Mercado 