The world of video games has become a gold mine for many brands, video game firms and even young people. FIFA games between friends and are now followed by thousands of people.
The hours lost in games with friends are now a gold mine. This is corroborated by the numbers of Twitch, the main video game streaming platform that, according to the TwitchTracker website, has gone from 1.35 million viewers in January to 1.41 in February; 1.63 in March; 2.48 in April and 2.55 in May. A figure that continues to grow.
But in this industry you have to differentiate two Anglo-Saxon concepts: gamer and streamer. The first refers to the person who is dedicated to video games, that is, plays their games to FIFA, Fortnite or League of Legends (LOL).
On the other hand, there is the streamer. The concept is an evolution of the video game player who brings his games to YouTube and where Twitch has become the cornerstone of the business.
A very dependent relationship
On Twitch, from influencers to multinational companies, there are a few individuals who manage to highlight this new television. However, only a few are fortunate enough to attract more than 100,000 viewers.
AuronPlay, Rubius and Ibai Llanos are 3 of these lucky ones and they spend a large part of their time on screen playing various video games, accompanied by their friends. A scene similar to the one that any of his followers can experience every afternoon with his closest group.
However, a Google Stadia official has created a small gap in the industry: “Streamers are concerned about their content being removed when they played music they did not pay for, but they should be more concerned that they are broadcasting games that have not paid . Everything would disappear as soon as the publishers decided to enforce their copyright.
These are the words of Alex Hutchinson, co-founder and creative director of Typhoon Studios, which was subsequently acquired by Google.
“The truth is that streamers should pay the developers and publishers of the games they broadcast. They should buy a license like any real business and pay for the content they use, “he adds.
The answer came on Twitter from one of the directors of the YouTube playground, Ryan Wyatt: “We believe that publishers and creators have a wonderful symbiotic relationship that has allowed the creation of a thriving ecosystem. One that has benefited everyone mutually! YT is focused on creating value for creators, publishers and users.
That ultra-dependent relationship has become apparent in recent months. With the last blows of the summer, Mediatonic’s Fall Guys swept sales and became the most downloaded game on the PS Store.
The most famous streamers spent hours and hours in front of this battle royale in the yellow humor style. Now, fashion is a 2-year-old indie game called Among Us, the one that has become king.
However, and despite Hutchinson’s criticism, large video game producers such as EA Sports, Apex Legends or Epic Games grant licenses or invitations to gamers and streamers to promote their new releases in a more affordable way than with large advertising campaigns.
