Streaming on twitch

TLDR

Live streaming of video games on Twitch has evolved into a major online social media phenomenon, serving as community hubs with audiences ranging from intimate groups of fifty to massive broadcasts of tens of thousands. The study aims to ethnographically investigate Twitch live streaming. The authors conduct an ethnographic investigation of Twitch live streams.

Abstract

Previously, video streaming sites were at the fringes of online social media. In the past two years, live streams of video games, on sites such as Twitch.tv, have become very popular. Live streams serve as meeting grounds for player communities. The Twitch streaming medium combines broadcast video with open IRC chat channels. In conjunction with gameplay, viewer participation and community building gain emphasis. Twitch streams range in size and nature, from intimate communities with fifty viewers, to massive broadcasts with tens of thousands. In this paper, we present an ethnographic investigation of the live streaming of video games on Twitch.