>>318091635
You're getting old.
Background noise basically.
Same reason people watch football.
>>318091635
Watching Melee Tournies on twitch is comfy as fuck.
>Why is twitch even a thing?
>I mean, [I use twitch]
You're dumb. Really dumb.
>>318091875
>Background noise basically.
This. Also, some (few and generally not very popular) streamers are actually good at some of the games they play.
Because they might enjoy watching certain personalities play games
They might want to watch someone who's better than them at a game and try to learn something from them
They might like watching the more high level matches of whatever game they like playing, since the pro and pub scenes tend to be pretty different
>>318091875
Yeah, that makes sense. I never really got into tv either.
>>318092096
Tournies I can understand. But fire up twitch right now and look at who's streaming. They're all nobodies jumping around and not really doing anything interesting. It just doesn't appeal to me, and I'm asking why you like it so much -- given how many people "tip" twitch streamers. When's the last time you tipped a movie or TV show you really liked? It's just baffling.
>>318092096
I think OP meant to ask why is Twitch mainly used for watching faggots and camwhores streaming gameplay as opposed to official events and shit, I don't get those either but at least that seems reasonable, however the majority of twitch users are just watching bullshit and throwing money at the screen for a fake smile and delusions that they might fuck the camwhore they're watching. If you want to throw money at camwhores then at least do it in the appropriate place and get her to stick a hairbrush up his ass for your money.
Bob Ross and Twitch Plays Pokemon Red were the only things ever worth going on that site for.
>>318091635
Same reason why people watch Commentary on movies and tv shows.
because people like to work a real job, then give their money they worked for to people who decided not to get a real job and play videogames instead.
it's the circle of retardation
>>318092641
This desu. Twitch is good for tournies but watching "personalities" or "donating" is degenerate as fuck.
>>318092604
Well the paradigm is shifting from entertainment as a product to entertainment as a service. Web content providers operate on a renaissance esque economy of commissions and tips, ie patreon and paypal.
I don't know if this will ever become the new standard, but the point is that TV is in the realm of entertainment products, so I feel no need to directly support or kickstart the show. Internet entertainment is different.
>>318092736
Nobody except complete autists does this.
Pretty much this >>318092520
You are either watching for the game itself (higher level play compared to the viewer) or for the streamer (entertaining/funny/boobs). No one wants to watch someone that is shit at the game and is boring.
>>318092937
EAAS jesus christ kill me now.
Seriously though, that kinda makes sense, but the entire concept of "tipping" is so uniquely american that I think you'll have trouble with the rest of the world catching on.
>>318091635
>Why would you ever want to watch someone play a game over playing it yourself?
It's free. There's a handful of streamers I actually enjoy watching, too. Just because it's mostly camwhores and faggots doesn't mean the platform isn't worthwhile.
I only watch one stream, but I watch it for the people involved in the stream group, while the game comes second. I don't understand why this is such a hard concept for /v/ to follow.
>>318091635
I'll watch Twitch for tournaments because this is gameplay at a level that I can not achieve, but I'll never watch a fucking let's play, you'd have to braindead.
>>318093334
So it's basically your replacement for antenna television? It's starting to make sense now.
>>318092604
>When's the last time you tipped a movie or TV show you really liked? It's just baffling.
I pay to watch movies and TV shows. I don't tip streamers but since they're doing it for free I don't understand your objection. I toss coins at buskers all the time if I like what they're doing.
>>318093328
Panhandlers exist in Europe though.
Also don't act like "paying for things you don't have to" is unique to Americans, some of the biggest whales in the mobile games industry are Russian oligarchs and middle eastern oil princes.
>>318091875
People watch football to win bets
>>318093508
I suppose so. It's like TV but vidya. I watch Twitch for three reasons: 1) because I want to check out a game 2) because I want to have something on in the background so I feel less lonely 3) because I like a particular streamer and I think their commentary is worthwhile.
i watched it for about 2 years, much in the same way i watched a lot of youtube religiously for years.
Been there, done that. at some point you realize it's a "waste of your life" and stop.
I think people watch twitch because they don't have better things to do.
>>318093525
My objections are that they're, you know, playing video games. They have no expenses. There are no costs. They're usually not even good players. If you didn't tip them, they'd be playing video games anyway.
It's like, why. Why would you ever waste your money on something so dumb. Even buying csgo skins makes more sense than this degeneracy.
>>318093703
>2) because I want to have something on in the background so I feel less lonely
I do this too, but I watch camgirls on MFC instead. Lewdness between rounds makes me play better for some reason.
I literally only watch for this guy. He's comedic gold every minute he's online.
>>318093932
>buying csgo skins makes more sense than this degeneracy
SHOTS FIRED
>>318093932
>they have no expenses
>there are no costs
Damn anon, playing videogames gets you free housing, food, electricity and internet? A lot of streamers make a living off of streaming, if nobody tips people would stream less because they have to work.
>>318093932
Well, first off I don't tip streamers, so it's not me who's wasting the money. I definitely can't understand anyone who throws hundreds at a Twitch account. But it's not as if they're doing literally nothing: they're putting some effort into being entertaining, interacting with the audience, providing commentary that's present without being annoying. I don't see the problem with throwing a couple dollars somebody's way as a thank-you for the fleeting moments of pleasure they've brought me. I sure wouldn't tip somebody who just sat there silently screensharing the vidya they happened to be playing, that wouldn't make a lick of sense.
>Something to half-assedly watch while eating
>Background noise; kind of like a one-person podcast/radio show
>A quick way of checking out certain games
>Something to actually watch if the content is noteworthy (tournaments, speedruns, fighting games that I don't wanna invest the hours into but enjoy watching, etc.), or if a person I find entertaining is playing a bizarre niche non-meme game
Streaming is essentially just the equivalent of television for the modern generation, but with an emphasis on viewer participation (i.e., "call-in television") and individuals instead of stories (i.e., "reality television").
>>318093672
I hope you don't genuinely believe that's the only reason.
>>318095035
I think this is the most concise reply to OP's question.Doesn't answer why people donate money though.
>who actually watches twitch
iono, people?
that's why it's a thing you fucking retard
>>318091635
Sometimes some friends want to see what a game is like that I'm playing and prefer to watch me than someone they don't know.
I don't expect anyone else to watch, and nobody does.
>>318091635
Pseudo-friendship
>>318091635
>Unless you're crippled / really bad / six years old
There's your answer.
>/v/ doesn't understand why millions of people watch people do things on YouTube
>/v/ doesn't understand why a hundred thousand people watch things on Twitch
what does /v/ actually understand then?
Twitch is popular because it is the advancement of meme culture.
>>318095807
Nothing. This site is filled with people too stupid or afraid to cut it in the real world my self included.
>>318095807
Memes and whatever /pol/ is doing.
>>318091635
I watch pro players and commentators for their insights into their games.
Most people are just entertained by the streamers though and that's reason enough.
I'm gonna go ahead and say it, video game streams are for easily entertained morons
>>318095394
There are a few reasons why people donate.
>Appreciation of the streamer for providing entertainment.
There's a lot of subjectivity around this.
"How much is too much", "But they're doing nothing why do they get money".
In the case of the former, no one can truly say. Some people use the salary of professionals from other industries as a benchmark. Personally (although I don't donate/subscribe or anything of the sort) don't have anything against $300 donations and the like if it's like once a year for a lone streamer you really appreciate.
In the case of the latter, it's not as simple as many think. Partially because of the proverbial train already leaving the station (streaming is oversaturated). But it also REQUIRES the following if you wanna get off the ground:
-A non-obnoxious voice
-Exposure (either through word-of-mouth or by playing popular things)
-The ability to communicate in an engaging fashion with the audience, but without pressuring them (i.e., fuck people who call out lurkers before they ask a question/say anything, or those who use bots to denote "first-time visitors")
Bonus things that make it easier:
-Networking
-A good voice
"being entertaing" is completely subjective
>Attention and surrogate "friendship" - Often spurred by the streamer in the form of donation incentives (callouts/messages) and/or 'perks' (emotes, the chance to play with the streamer, etc.)
>The same reason beta orbiters buy things for girls; dey thirsty niggas
