Yet Twitch’s success demonstrates that the thrill is real. And while I tend to think media reporters overstate the importance of generations... there’s something generational going on here....
What is Twitch? Twitch is the modern, monetized version of an experience now decades-old. Twitch is watching friends play Mario Kart at a sleepover. Twitch is watching your cousin—the only familial owner of that precious N64—play Zelda. It’s losing early at Halo or Goldeneye and having to sit out; it’s watching your sister navigate the world she built in Minecraft.
September 3, 2014
Watching other people play video games has gotten very popular.
"For some Boomers, that may recall comedian Brian Regan’s line about televised fishing shows: 'I’m not even fishing, I’m watching fishing! I’m too lazy to fish!'"
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I'm the same way with casino table games--I can watch a friend play blackjack for hours with no interest in playing a hand myself.
Brian Regan's hilarious. I always loved his joke about eating cheese puffs and watching a special on string theory, talking smack about Einstein. "Of course, you gotta correct for gravity!"
There's nothing wrong with wanting to watch people with great skill play their game. Isn't that what football, basketball, baseball, soccer, golf, and tennis provide the spectator? This is just bringing spectators to a new game.
It may be time to bring back EIGENSMASH, a self-playing Commodore diagonalization of a random real symmetric matric by bombing, lasering and otherwise destroying off diagonal elements in turn. Huge sound effects.
Twitch is this generation's ESPN.
Fishing Shows are dull. They let the fish go!
Sarah Palin did not let fish go. She taught her kids to hit the live halibut over the head with a hammer.
Video game watching will become interesting when they start hitting the losers over the head with a hammer.
Speaking of fantasy worlds.
Some heads are going to explode in New York and elsewhere when they see al Sisi, Bibi Netanyahu, King Abdullah, and the senior sheikh of UAE go on al Jazeera and sing "Sweet Adeline" in harmony!
Watching other people play a video game makes about as much sense as watching other people have sex, . . . no, wait!
I'd rather watch two trained chimps in a twelve hour marathon of Pong than listen to two minutes of garage mahal expressing his inane opinions.
Virtual virtual skeeball
My nephew always wants me to watch him play the wii.
I watch them because game "journalism" is a horrid joke, demos of games are virtually non-existant, so if you want any info on something before buying, these are solid options.
My nephew always wants me to watch him play golf.
Watching really good players can be interesting. As a casual player, watching professional competitive Starcraft games is fascinating. And final few the Street Fighter 4 battles at EVO are entertaining.
Kids watch Stampy Cat on You Tube, videos of a guy playing MineCraft.
It's a slippery slope. The next thing you know, people might start listening to other people play music instead of playing it themselves.
Fishing shows make me feel inadequate.
Growing up in the 80's we watched each other play video games. This is new?
The last fight I had with The Boyfriend was started because he had the gall to finish Grand Theft Auto V WITHOUT me present to watch!
Jeff Nark: I have memories of playing pinball in an arcade with my friends watching. Yeah, this is not new, just another journalist writing about something in that breathless tone that implies they discovered something new.
To add to what PB Reader said, people tend to watch games on Twitch that they actually play. They can pick up tips, strategies and techniques that they can at least try to use when they play themselves. How many football fans can say that?
Streaming on Twitch is actually a fairly legitimate profession at this point. When 20k people log on to watch you play your game of choice and explain your tactical decisions, you can make a decent living off the ad revenue.
I've watched a couple of videos on video games. Usually on how to beat a level I'm having trouble with. Or tips on how to play Battlefield 3 for example. But watching actual game play is extremely boring.
Maybe if it was the StarCraft finals in S Korea, and they did it like a sporting event, MAYBE it would be interesting. But other than that, no.
Video games of the last five years or so are very cinematic in character. The graphics are nearly photographic and the stories are complex, and can vary a lot in the way the plot twists and turns. I've often apologized to those present for ignoring them while I played, only to have them tell me how much they were enjoying watching the "show".
As a gamer, all I can say is that I'd rather play than watch. My own personal favorite is Skyrim. I find it cathartic to move through the open game world, doing whatever I want. There's a joy to dropping a deer a long distance away with a single shot from my bow (or a Firebolt!) or besting a boss enemy in a tough battle. Favorite thing ever done: Sneaking up on a dragon, backstabbing it and killing it with a single blow of my dagger (although technically the poison caused the dragon's demise). Talk about a rush! It would be cool to see someone else do that, of course, but it's much cooler to actually do it yourself.
As a gamer, all I can say is that I'd rather play than watch. My own personal favorite is Skyrim. I find it cathartic to move through the open game world, doing whatever I want. There's a joy to dropping a deer a long distance away with a single shot from my bow (or a Firebolt!) or besting a boss enemy in a tough battle. Favorite thing ever done: Sneaking up on a dragon, backstabbing it and killing it with a single blow of my dagger (although technically the poison caused the dragon's demise). Talk about a rush! It would be cool to see someone else do that, of course, but it's much cooler to actually do it yourself.
No argument. But there are games that I just won't ever be terribly good at. I won't ever hit EVO levels of fighting games. I am abysmal at the Trials series and watching somebody ace them is impressive.
No different than watching the NFL, IMO.
I watch them because game "journalism" is a horrid joke, demos of games are virtually non-existant, so if you want any info on something before buying, these are solid options.
Yeah, gaming journalism had become unreadable. Most gamers really don't care about their games promoting social justice or gender equality. I'm tired of the bandwidth spent on "controversial" "new voices in gaming." Zoe Quinn and her legions can go fuck themselves.
And yeah, Twitch is great. I play a game called Mechwarrior Online and it's pretty common to find myself in games with Twitch broadcasters. One great feature of MWO is that if you die in a match, you can "spectate" any of your surviving teammates' cockpit view. Spectating is very entertaining if you've got a real badass player on your side.
Yeah, gaming journalism had become unreadable. Most gamers really don't care about their games promoting social justice or gender equality. I'm tired of the bandwidth spent on "controversial" "new voices in gaming." Zoe Quinn and her legions can go fuck themselves.
Ain't that the truth? They hate their audience more than the regular media does. The Zoe story is interesting (and disturbing for such a superfluous pasttime), but I imagine few here would get the reference and explaining it would be a nightmare.
For non-gamers: As little as you may think of gamers, the gaming enthusiast media hates us WAY more than you ever could hope to.
And yeah, Twitch is great. I play a game called Mechwarrior Online and it's pretty common to find myself in games with Twitch broadcasters. One great feature of MWO is that if you die in a match, you can "spectate" any of your surviving teammates' cockpit view. Spectating is very entertaining if you've got a real badass player on your side.
I don't watch Twitch a ton, but when nothing else is on, there is usually something interesting there. Speed runs are always entertaining as are the crazy good Starcraft and DOTA players.
Pinball Wizard
1. Things I never attempted (e.g dance, skating, golf) many of which I could never do.
2. Things I used to be able to do at a moderate level (e.g. football) but can no longer do.
3. Things I can do relatively well (playing music, cooking) but not as well as the best.
Of those things
I'd say my enjoyment in watching an activity is greatest at level 3. Levels 1 and 2 are about the same.
I can play and enjoy FPS games like Call of Duty and Far Cry for hours on end, but I cannot endure watching someone else play. It makes me quite ill -- nausea and headache -- very quickly. I've never had motion sickness, but I surmise that what I experience while trying to watch others play a shooter is much like kinetosis.
In researching motion sickness I've learned that there is a special type of kinetosis which effects people subjected to simulated motion, such as what one experiences during computer and console games. It's called simulation sickness, naturally enough. According to the literature I've read the studies involve players who get sick while gaming or shortly thereafter. I have seen no data regarding people like me who only get sick when another person controls the game.
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