It has boggled the minds of conventionalists as to why anyone would spend their hard-earned money to watch a person play video games all day. And not just video games. On Twitch, people are giving their money away through donations and subscriptions to any individual with a hobby or talent to showcase to the world. Chatting, cooking, singing, writing, and even sleeping are just a few examples.
Yes, thousands of creeps—I mean people—are glued to their computer screens or phones watching a person sleep all night.
So why donate money to an ordinary person like you and me that can do the same things you and I could do?
Why continue finding new ways to spend money instead of saving for the future?
Why give your money to someone so that they may announce your name during the stream and then forget you existed seconds later?
For the past two years, I’ve been a Twitch user hiding my identity behind an obscure name and have been giving money to strangers who primarily play video games.
Before I spent my first dollar on the platform, I never understood what compelled people to do this. But throughout my experience, I developed an understanding of why people donate to streamers, which many non-users would consider a waste of blood, sweat, and tears. I also developed an appreciation of the culture by way of four streamers who, in their unique ways, assisted me during tough times.
Why Do I Watch Twitch?
In my younger years, gaming was my life. When I became an adult and started tackling more responsibilities, I put the games away. Well, most of them.
I continue to monitor the latest news in the industry while containing my urge to buy everything. With Twitch, I can watch the new releases being played by regular people to help me decide whether I should buy the game. Or I can watch a complete playthrough of a game that has caught my interest that I know I'll never buy. Usually, it is the latter. The site also allows me to relive moments of the retro games I played during my youth, or just last month.
When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, instead of watching videos, I started listening to streamers talk while I would either work from home or play video games. Most of my days were spent in an empty, quiet house working my day job where the only sounds heard were the pressing of keystrokes. I was prohibited from participating in non-work related chats with my colleagues, and friends from my inner circle were unavailable for texting. At first, I thought I would welcome the solidarity, but I was bored out of my mind.
Twitch helped me to connect with the human world again. Listening to spontaneous chat, not scripted lines on television, helped to appease the loneliness. It beats paying hundreds of dollars for a licensed therapist.
Although I have been free from my home prison for over a year, the habit of watching or listening to videos from my favorite streamers continues to be a daily activity.
Why Do I Subscribe?
The decision to tip or subscribe requires careful assessment.
Whenever I enter a streamer's channel, I put myself in the role of a customer engaging in the services of a business. As a potential paying customer, I expect at least 95% satisfaction every time I watch a video. This means I expect consistency in its scheduling, fresh content, superior production quality, courteousness to the audience, relatability, and a professional and/or friendly attitude.
The way I see it, if you’re streaming videos as a fun hobby, and you don’t care about getting paid, then you should not get paid. But if you’re serious about streaming, and are willing to treat it as a business, then you should get paid.
And I get it. Some individuals want to support their friends. Streamers want to support other streamers. There is nothing wrong with either scenario. The rest, however, are looking for a reasonable excuse to give their hard-earned money to a stranger, to invest their money into a worthwhile business.
They want to leave each stream feeling like they had a good time, or in a way that makes them appreciate life more. They also may simply like the streamer and want to reward them for their charms, their creativity, or any other trait that has left a positive impact on their lives.
And they also may be supporting them in an attempt to make a new friend.
Whatever the reason, at some point, the paying customer must ask themself, is it worth it?
The Chosen Four - My Favorite Streamers
In the past two years, four channels on Twitch have left positive impacts on my life—changed the way I view social media and people in general. Three I have subscribed to, not all at once but at different times. The fourth, I came very close.
They have eliminated moments of boredom by providing entertainment in their unique ways. And more importantly, they have saved my mental health during times of despondency.
I’ve also given names to each of the four streamers based on their personalities and their channel flow: the Maestro, the Zombie, the Hollow, and the Entrepreneur. Each of them I’d discovered on a whim, and each, minus one, subliminally convinced me to subscribe to their channel.
Streamer A: The Maestro
The Maestro begins her stream with a short, melodic intro. Then she spends 10 to 15 minutes conversing with the people in the chatroom. The Maestro is a variety streamer, streaming mostly action RPGs and adventure games. After seven hours of gaming with no extended breaks, she pulls out a keyboard and sings and plays songs from pop culture or popular video games for 30 to 45 minutes.
The music is my favorite part of the stream. The cadence of the songs is performed with perfection as she incorporates her folklore style into the music. Her majestic voice traverses me to a place of absolute serenity. Whether your eyes are closed or observing the Maestro swaying to the melodic tunes, you become mesmerized by the now-exposed beauty that is all around us.
After months of following the Maestro and “lurking” throughout the videos, I decided to take advantage of the subscription sale offer and subscribe for three months.
As a subscriber, I had access to a badge that appeared next to my name in the chatroom. It would change appearance every three months of subscribing to signify that it was evolving to the next level. I could also access the customized emotes to be used in the chatroom. And like all Twitch channel subscriptions, ads were eliminated.
Channel Survey Score (after subscribing)
Did I feel like a member of the community: No
Did I feel like I was getting my money’s worth: No
Was I enjoying myself more: No
YES: 0, NO: 3
My decision to support the Maestro by subscribing to the channel was based on her display of kindness, her humble nature, and her gift of song. I admit I was smitten by her charms which influenced me to open my wallet without hesitation.
She does an excellent job at balancing her gameplay with responding to messages in the chatroom. Of course, with messages appearing on average every five seconds, she is not able to acknowledge every viewer. Because of this, she is forced to follow the system of responding to tier 2 and 3 subscribers before others. Incidentally, the higher tier levels are higher in cost, and there are not that many of them.
Like most Twitch followers and subscribers, I want to be acknowledged by the streamer. I also want to feel like a pal and not just a follower with an awkward username. Because I wasn’t acknowledged, I didn’t feel special, and I know, I should grow up.
My badge no longer had any significance. If no one responded to any of my messages in the chatroom, that meant no one was seeing them, therefore, the badges were worthless. In addition, I didn’t have the time to watch all the live streams. If I’m watching the recorded stream, I can’t chat. So the only advantage is I don’t get any ads.
After about a week, I decided to turn off my auto subscription. When the three months ended, I rarely watched any of the channel’s videos, primarily because I acquired another job that fell into the live timeslot.
Maestro is an authentic individual brimming with class. But donating money on an extended basis when I could get the same experience as a non-subscriber, minus ad-free content, didn’t make sense.
The music is still awesome.
Streamer B: The Zombie
Like many streamers, the start of Zombie’s videos is a 10 to 20-minute preparation period with the words Stream Starting Soon in the background of a creepy graphic. For the next two hours, she chats with her people. For the remainder of the stream, she plays a video game—sometimes two.
I nickname her the Zombie not only because of her ghostly pale skin. She speaks in a dry monotone, her face carries a cold scowl, and she is inanimate like the dead.
I liked her immediately.
Despite her dreary ambiance, she cracks funny jokes at times that have me snickering out loud. She also owns an impressive collection of rare video games and other nerdish memorabilia displayed in the background of her videos. She’s not a people person, like me, therefore she doesn’t like to go out and believes traveling is overrated, like me.
The Zombie is a retro streamer who also plays current RPGs and fighting games from time to time. Her videos provide a chill vibe that takes a person to a state of tranquility after a long day at work. Imagine a calm, quiet voice speaking in short sentences as songs from recognizable video games play in the background.
My main reason for subscribing was to simply support her. I felt she had a great channel and it deserved to be kept alive. Incidentally, the Zombie responds to all messages in the chat, no matter what tier the subscriber belongs to.
Channel Survey Score (after subscribing)
Did I feel like a member of the community: No
Did I feel like I was getting my money’s worth: No
Was I enjoying myself more: No
YES: 0, NO: 3
Unfortunately, committing to the Zombie’s channel was like entering a relationship and becoming bored after a month of being together and discovering what the other is really like.
The chill vibe I once savored became mundane. Her lethargic reactions started to bore and annoy me. Her negative view on certain matters became too transparent making her appear as an insufferable pessimist.
At times, she appeared as if she did not want to be there, as if streaming was a hassle rather than a passion.
On any given day, she would start late or not stream at all. She had legitimate excuses like feeling physically or mentally ill or had a prior commitment elsewhere. I sympathized with her, however, I was still a paying customer, and I expected to get my money's worth.
In the chatroom, I felt like an outcast surrounded by nerds. The members would mostly post snarky jokes and awkward greetings to get noticed. They were hardcore passionate about video games, computers, and other tech goodies of which I had very little knowledge. There also wasn’t much activity in the chatroom, which often led to long periods of awkward dead air space.
The Zombie is a bright, creative individual who deserves to do what makes her happy. But I wasn’t having fun anymore. And like being in a relationship, the fun is over once a commitment is made.
Keeping my subscription to her channel going would not benefit either of us. I watch her streams from time to time and I'm always treated to the relaxing, fun-filled experience I enjoyed before I subscribed. I guess, just like in a relationship, it's sometimes best to just stay friends.
Streamer C: The Hollow
The Hollow is a stand-up comedian, an actor, a podcaster, and the son of a late beloved actor who has starred in many iconic films and has one of the most recognized voices in comedy. His love for video games has revealed a kind-spirited, outgoing, humorous soul with the gift of bringing people together.
I nicknamed him the Hollow to symbolize his channel’s emptiness during scheduled streams. In other words, he doesn’t stream a lot.
Most celebrity Twitch partners do not produce much content due to their busy schedules, and the Hollow is no exception. He posts videos whenever he gets the chance, and at times it may be a week or two before he posts again.
The content is random. One day he is chatting, another day he is chatting while doing random things in his office, other days he is gaming, and at times he is doing all of these in one video.
He still holds a strong fanbase thanks to his usage of other social media platforms like Twitter and YouTube. So if he is not streaming on Twitch, he won’t be hard to find elsewhere.
The Hollow is the one streamer out of the four whose channel I never subscribed to. The thought never crossed my mind. At the most, he has asked viewers to follow his channel, yet he has his share of fans who subscribe monthly and make random donations.
He never raids anyone at the end of his videos; he never creates a Hype Train. There are no incentives for subscribing other than watching ad-free content. For him, this is a hobby he does in his spare time. Business tactics are thrown out the door.
If I could guess, Twitch is a platform to help expand his popularity for his entertainment career. If my following him and watching his videos helps to improve his success, then we are both rewarded.
I would imagine that the Hollow is comfortable with his financial situation but is not rich. However, if I were rich and he asked his followers to subscribe to his channel to help him out, I would subscribe. He is a great guy with an exorbitant amount of talent and an impeccable resume, and he deserves success.
Streamer D: The Entrepreneur
One year ago, the Entrepreneur quit her job as a sales representative to work at home as a full-time streamer. To this day, she continuously streams six days a week, six hours a day with no extended breaks or days off for being sick. One week during the summer, she took a vacation, and instead of relaxing, she carried a selfie stick with her and live-streamed her activities.
Since she became a full-time streamer, she has dedicated her hours to beating the toughest video games on the highest difficulty without displaying frustration or contemplating quitting. She has invented creative ways to play the most challenging games in seemingly impossible fashions, such as completing a playthrough of Elden Ring with one hand while on commentary.
I still struggle with Elden Ring using two hands.
In one year, her follower count grew by 100,000. Her Twitter follower count grew to 40,000. She won an award at the 2022 Streamer Awards, and she is on the trajectory of becoming one of the top 10 streamers on Twitch.
Although I haven’t explored every streamer on the site and studied every style and format, I can say with confidence that the Entrepreneur is the model example of how a streamer on Twitch can achieve success.
After a 10-minute overture with an attractive background and relaxing music at the beginning of the stream, the Entrepreneur dives into a conversation with people entering the chatroom as a strategy to mentally prepare her for her gameplay and commentary.
She is a variety streamer playing the latest single-player adventure games and RPGs. During her playthroughs, she is actively responding to messages in the chatroom no matter the tier level or if the individual is not a subscriber. At the end of the stream, she attempts to make a lesser popular colleague famous by sending the remaining thousand-plus chatroom members into their stream by way of a raid.
The Entrepreneur excels at gaming as if it is second nature. Although I enjoy observing her skills and cheering her on, my main reason for tuning in is the commentary. Her adorable wit, tidbits of her life, and her singing snippets of songs from the 90s are key ingredients that make her videos authentic and vibrant. When I am not “really” listening because I’m concentrating on my work, the sounds of her chatting keep me company and hold my sanity together which enables me to work with more enthusiasm.
Because she can average over 3000 viewers in a session, a new message pops into the chat every two seconds making it difficult for her to respond to each message. But it is not a deal breaker for subscribing. The energy that the Entrepreneur exhibits during the stream whether one is solely watching the video, listening to the commentary, or participating in the chat reaches every viewer and allows them to feel like a member of the family.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that she is a beautiful woman. Eye candy lures people to a product, which is why the streamer's primary audience is male. And she understands this strategy. But what makes the channel more special is her modest approach to beauty. Her looks are not overly sexual, she doesn't flirt, she doesn't tease, she doesn't discuss her relationship status, and she doesn't talk about women's needs.
She attracts female viewers as well who admire her for being herself and further proving that women know what video games are.
There is something for everyone. After a month of following the channel, I subscribed for six months.
Channel Survey Score (after subscribing)
Did I feel like a member of the community: Yes
Did I feel like I was getting my money’s worth: Yes
Was I enjoying myself more: Yes
YES: 3, NO: 0
Although the Entrepreneur didn’t acknowledge me every time I posted a message (hard to do when 20 people are chatting at the same time), and the chatroom was flowing with nerds posting funny and sometimes unfunny jokes, I never felt like an outcast. This could be because of her constant chatting and her positive demeanor.
She is a master at balancing game commentating with chat discussions, leaving the audience feeling engaged. There was never more than five seconds of silence. And when the danger of dead air space was imminent, she would sing a snippet from a popular song.
There are times when uncivilized people would make indecent comments in the chatroom, but she brushes them aside by not further acknowledging them and continues having fun.
Her work ethic is comparable to the dedicated business owner striving for paramount success. She is serious about providing top-notch content that seems easy to execute when in fact it takes much preparation and a “business hunger” mentality. Incidentally, this is why I nicknamed her the Entrepreneur.
After the six months ended, I chose not to renew my subscription. However, I continued supporting the channel by watching/listening to the streams every week and posting comments from time to time, not worrying if she would reply to them.
It was an honor to help finance the Entrepreneur’s channel, but in the end, paying an ongoing monthly fee didn’t fit my billing needs. Nevertheless, I still support the channel by being a follower. And incidentally, the Entrepreneur has generously eliminated ads during her videos.
The success of the channel, her business, is the culmination of the number of views her videos receive, her follower count, her channel reviews, and her tenure as a Twitch partner. With a huge fanbase, she has gained partnerships with third-party affiliates and is sponsored by major companies. Her accomplishments may seem trivial to some, but they can lead to great opportunities later in life that will enhance her career growth.
Despite my not being an ongoing subscriber, my money was well spent to help in the sculpturing of this influential business.
Closing Thoughts
It is easy to say to yourself that paying someone to play a video game is asinine, especially if you don't like video games or are a conventionalist when it comes to the topic of jobs. Twitch is more than nerds playing video games. It is a place for sharing, fellowship, and for business.
People are streaming videos of what they do every day in hopes to obtain a following, and of course, getting paid. But they probably don't realize that the inspiration and education their videos instill in the audience are saving lives. A lady who owns a pizzeria can stream her daily work to her followers and motivate them to practice strong worth ethics. A nutritionist can provide free advice on maintaining a proper diet to help others avoid costly doctor visits. The examples are endless.
There is a sense of obligation to pay someone for their kind service. Donating money to Twitch streamers is no different than donating to a church or to a youth center. The subscriptions, the donations, and the chat comments are ways in which individuals give back to the streamer for their hard work and dedication, and for making their lives better.
If you want to donate money to someone who inspires you or to simply help them out; do it. There is nothing wrong with being generous.
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