The concept of video game streaming is relatively new to me. It sounds so simple – you play games, people watch and somehow you make money. It feels like a generational shift. While I love games, it never really occurred to me to watch other people play them, and it’s mind-blowing that people would pay money to watch a stream. For me, if I want to experience a game I’ll play it. If I want to watch something, I turn to TV or a movie.
If you’re new to the concept of streaming, you’re not alone. The PlayStation 4 made it relatively easy to link a Twitch account and share what you’re playing. I signed up with dreams of grandeur but after a couple attempts I realized that I didn’t have enough pull to actually get people to watch my stream. I didn’t realize that I was passing on potential life-changing money.
Between my full-time job, being a dad and OiO my own time is stretched as thin as it can be. Fortunately I can live vicariously through my man @HobbyBoxBurns. Joey started streaming over the last couple months and his journey has been interesting to behold. You can follow @HobbyBoxBurns on Twitch.
One of the first things I observed when watching Joey stream is the streaming cadence is very different from talking to a friend, or even playing a game with them. Users can chat during the stream, and it’s up to the streamer to not only play the game but to watch the chat, answer questions and carry a conversation with the followers. The streamer also needs to keep a running commentary going. They explain what’s happening in the game, why they are making different choices and responding to chat – it’s a lot to stay on top of.
I wanted to support Joey’s channel, so I turned on a replay of one of his videos while I was at work one day. I thought I would keep it on for background noise, but he somehow sucked me in while reading the manual of a gameboy game that was remade for Switch. I was shocked how much I missed the live chat feature, I was literally talking to my monitor as though he could hear me.
Once Burns had his claws in me, I decided to explore more of what Twitch has to offer. I assumed that it was all about games. I was wrong. Twitch is a weird place. Yes, it has games, from Cyberpunk 2077 to a retro category. I checked out a game I am intrigued by: Immortals Fenyx Rising and stumbled across Ubisoft streaming the game and offering giveaways on different platforms. That was pretty rad. Knowing that there are hundreds of hours of gameplay I will never get to, I also really enjoyed jumping around some Final Fantasy XIV streams.
What I didn’t expect was the extremely popular Just Chatting category. It’s literally people sitting in front of a webcam interacting with their audience. I saw an attractive woman from Sweden. She was cooking soup. On the corner of her screen she listed her top tips of the month – someone gave her $1,000. I saw another woman streaming from a jacuzzi. Another one was doing body paint – on her breasts.
I am all for platforms that allow creative types to monetize. If you have the hustle and the gumption to make some money on your passion project, good on you (did I mention that you can support OiO on Patreon?). I guess I’m curious about the benefactor. The whole thing feels like a strip club to me – just what are you getting for your money?
I’ve told Burns that he would make a lot more money if he streamed topless, but so far he hasn’t gone for it. I think he found a pretty cool niche – he’s playing a wide breadth of roleplaying games from timeless classics like Suikoden to recent releases like Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
Exploring Twitch has been a fascinating exercise for me. While it’s highly unlikely that I will attempt to make a go of it on the platform, I do think I will use it to check out new games that I am on the fence about.
How do Twitch Streamers Make Money?
There are four basic ways streamers make money:
- Subscriptions – This is the most stable form of income for streamers. Basically, you choose from three different tiers – from $5 to $25, billed monthly. Streamers get half of the subscription, although the more elite streamers make closer to 70 percent.
- Donations – Viewers can buy Twitch bits and then donate them to streamers. Each bit is roughly a penny for the streamer.
- Sponsorships – Companies will pay streamers to promote their product.
- Ads – Usually when you start a stream, an ad runs. Streamers also have the option to press a button to run an ad.
For what it’s worth, OiO pays Patreon eight percent of our income, plus 10 cents per transaction for all pledges over $3.
How Can You Support Joey?
- Create a free account at www.twitch.tv/
- Visit Joey’s channel at www.twitch.tv/hobbyboxburns and click the heart to follow
- You’ll get an email when Joey is live, pop in and watch the ad
- If you have Amazon Prime, link it to your twitch account and you get a free subscription each month.
- Consider subscribing to his feed, starting at $4.99 a month.
What’s New at OiO
A New Show (Segment) is Coming
Thanks to our generous supporters on Patreon, we have reached a new commitment: OiO New Game+. While we billed this tier as a new segment on Outside is Overrated, we have decided to add it to the OiO podcast feed as its own entity. We did this for a couple reasons:
- Episodes are already two-three hours long. For my sanity in editing and to keep us from feeling rushed with the segment, we will record it as a separate thing.
- Releasing New Game+ as a separate item allows us to post content in the middle of the month.
The first time we will cross this threshold is January, so you can look forward to the new show segment in the middle of February.
We hope you enjoy this new content! OiO New Game+ and Game Pass Forever only exist because of our generous backers. If you enjoy our content, please support Outside is Overrated on Patreon. Donation tiers start at $2, at $10 you get access to an exclusive hour-long monthly podcast: Tom and Joey Unfiltered.
Episode 32 of Outside is Overrated – End of a Console Generation
In the latest episode of the podcast, Tom, Joey and Casey look back at the Playstation 4 and Xbox One consoles. They reflect on the highs and lows of the generation and name their favorites across a cornucopia of categories.