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Twitch

Twitch is a live streaming service that began as a spinoff of Justin.tv in 2011, but later absorbed it, then the service was acquired by Amazon for $970 million in 2014.1) Its main focus is video game streaming and creative content, though some people would obviously say otherwise.

Generally speaking, their platform has about 45,000+ concurrent streams and 1,000,000+ viewers at any given moment.2) Some also hail it as the new television.3) For a general idea of the type of content that is available, a crude list of classifications is shown below.

Classifications

Competitive gaming

It's no surprise that a video game streaming service would draw in amateur and professional players or teams that are just skilled at competitive, multiplayer video games as well as tournaments.

Of course, the concept of esports didn't appear out of nowhere. The idea of competitive gaming spans back to the 1970s, plus the fighting game community still exists to this date.

Multiplayer roleplaying

A high number of GTA 5 streams feature players roleplaying through use of a FiveM server, such as NoPixel. Despite its odd premise, they manage to hook a significantly large daily audience.

Most of the appeal is that engaging or entertaining situations develop spontaneously, so the viewers wouldn't know what to expect next. Just don't get too heated4) and know it's a time sink.5)

Variety streaming

Most streamers aspire to be a variety streamer as it's more liberating when your audience will stick around for anything, compared to being a one-trick pony that people only watch during a boom.

However, nothing is consistent in a variety stream, so you can't expect every single streamer and chatroom to be uniform. The only thing consistent is that purple 'subscribe' button.

Speedrunning

The art of speedrunning can be intriguing, but it can also be incredibly tedious when it's just one person and not a huge speedrunning marathon event, relay race, or competition like association football.

Don't tune into a speedrunning stream expecting a world record or personal best. Instead, appreciate the frustrations in perfecting the art and attempts to juggle chatroom interactions.

Flavor of the month

When a highly anticipated new game is released, a percentage of streamers will flock to it. Some may have a genuine interest, while others are looking to poach new potential viewers for themselves.

In the worst case scenario, you have no interest in the new game, but over half of the streamers that you follow are now streaming said game, so it kinda disrupts your routine for a couple of days.

Miscellaneous

Twitch initially opened up to non-gaming streams with Creative and IRL in the mid-2010s,6)7) then expanded by adding more categories in 2018 which allows for further categorization.8)

Of course, Twitch still has rules and guidelines, so they will ban for hate speech, self-destructive behavior, sexual content (allegedly),9) unauthorized copyrighted content, and so on.10)

Subathon

A “subathon” (subscriber marathon) is a special type of stream where streamers will run a timer, which subscriptions can add time to,11) and stream until this timer hits zero. Of course, not all subathons are uncapped, some can be segmented (i.e. paused and continued later) or have a timer cap, which is useful if streaming isn't necessarially your primary, full-time job or you have other concerns.

Toggle 'added time per subscribers added' chart.

For anyone planning a 24/7 subathon, remember that Twitch broadcasts must be reset every 48 hours per guidelines12) and there are ways to avoid sleep deprivation, such as setting up a playlist of past VODs or YouTube videos, a Twitch Plays type stream, Words On Stream, etc. However, be mindful that your chatroom might need moderators in these uncommon hours.

Third-party extensions

  • 7TV GitHub last commit (branch)
    An enhancement suite for Twitch, Kick, and YouTube that supports BTTV and FFZ emotes by default. Icons used for settings. Be warned that a handful of streamers may be opposed to 7TV.13)
  • BetterTTV (BTTV) GitHub last commit (branch)
    A basic enhancement suite for Twitch and YouTube, which also supports FFZ and 7TV emotes. You can find the settings under the “chat settings” menu or the “user menu” dropdown.
  • FrankerFaceZ (FFZ) GitHub last commit (branch)
    An extensive Twitch enhancement suite that I recommend, which also supports BTTV and 7TV emotes using modules. It has its own settings icon, but you can also check the “chat settings” menu.
  • TwitchNoSub GitHub last commit (branch)
    This extension is for watching VODs for a Twitch channel that has set them to subscribers only. If you believe older VODs are being hidden from view,14) then check with TwitchTracker.
  • TTV LOL PRO GitHub last commit (branch)
    One of the few extensions that blocks advertisements on Twitch and still gets updated. No guarantees though. Alternatively, you could try one of the entries listed on this list or this list.

Notes

  • Never purchase via mobile app. Apple and Google both charge a mobile transaction fee.
  • Be mindful of the parasocial relationship that can develop between streamers and the viewers!
    • In other words: don't get celebrity worship syndrome, don't get all your opinions from somebody who sits at a computer for a living, and popular streamers are taxed higher for a reason.
    • As a challenge, don't waste the free Prime Gaming subscription on the first streamer that asks.
  • Partnered streamers are, contractually, not allowed to disclose their Twitch income. The only exception are grandfathered contracts, though it isn't known if the contracts allowing this still exist.
    • On October 5, 2021, an anonymous 4chan user managed to disclose streamer incomes between August 2019 and October 2021,15) publishing an unofficial Top 10,000 streamers list.16)17)
  • There used to be no way to change your username until February 24, 2017.18) You could only remake your account or make a new account, thus why my account says it was made in 2014.
  • At one point, it had a global KBTIT emote called “ArigatoNas” from March 201719) to January 2020.20)
  • Both laughing emotes, “LUL” (TotalBiscuit) and “KEKW” (El Risitas), are now deceased.
    • The original “LUL” image was DMCA'd by the photographer, which is why the global “LUL” emote is slightly altered for legal reasons21) and why BTTV offers a global “LuL” emote.
  • During the 2020 U.S. election cycle, users had been suspended for showing CNN-hosted debates.22)
  • The exact rule that prohibits knowingly letting suspended users onto your stream, unless it happens to be beyond the streamer's control, is “suspension evasion” in the community guidelines.23)
  • From June 6, 2023 to October 22, 2023,24) the platform once banned simulcasting on any rivaling platform, not including 'mobile-first' services (e.g. TikTok, Instagram). The policy was later revised at Twitchcon 2023 to simply forbid sabotage (e.g. calls to leave, specifically providing Twitch a bad feed), and use of third-party services or tools to combine chat activity.
  • Around August 20, 2024, it was announced that Twitch would be sending out Bleeding Purple Statues to streamers who achieve significant milestones for total hours watched.25)
  • On November 15, 2024, the platform controversially forbade using 'Zionist' as an insult, only allowing criticism of the ethnonationalist movement.26) This comes after a wave of liberal complaints on alleged unchecked antisemitism, despite the distinction, that began around October 20, 2024.27)
  • Why the hell do streamers keep moving to Los Angeles, California or Austin, Texas anyways?

See also

,
1)
"Amazon Buys Twitch For $US970 Million In Cash" (August 25, 2014). Business Insider.
2)
These statistics were lifted off of TwitchTracker.
3)
"Twitch is the New Broadcast Television" (March 16, 2022). Tech Times.
4)
The community around roleplaying has a slight toxicity issue where some viewers might feel obligated to heckle random streamers when their preferred streamers are “losing” in a roleplaying scenario, sometimes using Reddit (e.g. /r/rpclipsgta, /r/livestreamfail) to omit context and invite organized harassment.
5)
These streams can last for hours, which can affect a viewer's productivity. As for streamers, be warned that roleplaying can end up infecting your daily life and schedule if you let it, as the city never sleeps.
6)
"Introducing Twitch Creative" (October 28, 2015). Twitch.
7)
"Announcing: IRL, Mobile Broadcasting, and Updated Community Guidelines" (December 15, 2016). Twitch.
8)
"Introducing Tags and New Categories: New Ways to Discover Streamers on Twitch" (September 26, 2018). Twitch.
9)
"Twitch's Hot Tub Streams Explained as Platform Introduces New Category for Videos" (May 24, 2021). Newsweek.
10)
"Community Guidelines". Twitch.
11)
It's up to the streamer's discretion if bits and donations through third-party services also add/remove time.
12)
"Broadcast Guidelines". Twitch.
13)
"Many people have asked me to include support for 7TV emotes in my Chat Bubbles. Here is why I will never support them, a 🧵" (November 17, 2021). Twitter.
14)
Some channels may show the last two weeks of VODs when they actually have last two months. Of course, keep in mind that streamers have the right to delete VODs at any given time.
15)
"twitch leaks part one" (October 5, 2021). 4chan /g/.
16)
"Sorry guys, I fucked up." (October 6, 2021). 4chan /g/.
17)
"Untitled" (October 6, 2020). Pastebin.
18)
"The hype is real: Name changes are here" (February 24, 2017). Twitch.
19)
"KBTITさん、Twitchの公式エモートになる" (March 31, 2017). Niconico Douga.
20)
"【悲報】Twitchグローバルスタンプ「ArigatoNas」、消える。" (January 22, 2020). Twitter.
21)
"The reason for the difference in the two is purely legal. The photographer DMCAed the original, Twitch wouldnt touch it with a 10ft pole." (September 1, 2017). Twitter.
22)
"Twitch handed out 24-hour suspensions after last night’s Democratic debates" (August 1, 2019). The Verge.
23)
"Community Guidelines". Twitch.
24)
"We’ve announced that you can simulcast on ANY live streaming service! Check out our new guidelines and FAQ here:" (October 22, 2023). Twitter.
25)
"Introducing the Streamer Achievement Program" (August 20, 2024). Twitch.
26)
"An Update to How We Enforce Our Hateful Conduct Policy" (November 15, 2024). Twitch.
27)
"Twitch Bans Several Arab Streamers Following 'Habibi' Ratings Panel At TwitchCon" (October 21, 2024). Kotaku.
28)
You can do this by looking up a channel, going to the streams tab, select a week, select a specific day or stream, and hover over the top of the chart where the clips would appear.
29)
If you're manually grabbing clips from a Twitch channel: replace “www.twitch.tv” with “clips.twitch.tv”, delete the “[channel name]/clip/” part, and delete the question mark along with everything that follows it.
twitch.txt · Last modified: 2024-11-16 11:31:39 by namelessrumia