Twitch.tv and similar - What makes for a quality streamer/channel?

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RanceJustice

Supreme [H]ardness
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Good afternoon all. Over the past few months I've been approached every so often by someone asking if I stream and if not I should consider doing so. Having taken a little time to appraise the growing "Streamer/channel" culture, at least so far as it is tangentially related to gaming or creative pursuits, deciding on the focus and design of one's streams can be daunting. Thus I come to the forum here which I am guessing has a pretty significant readership and varied preferences, age ranges, and points of view, to ask - What makes for an enjoyable and quality streamer/channel?

First of all, I suppose I should ask what format of streamer/channel content do you enjoy? Do you prefer "lets plays"? Watching "eSports" style competitive play and/or commentary? Instructional/guide streams? Reviews? Discussion and variety? "Just for fun" streams of a variety of content and approaches? Something else?

Next, what genres/content do you prefer? Competitive e-sports titles like League of Legends, Overwatch, CS:GO, Heroes of the Storm, Smite etc...? Other competitive multiplayer FPS/MOBAs? Single player story and/or open world titles? Cooperative and/or Survival titles? Indie, less known, and/or unique titles? MMO / Virtual Worlds?
"Twitch Plays/Community play" events where the streamer allows the community in chat to dictate the course of the game, naming characters, deciding on moves to make etc..? A particular theme such as "Gaming on Linux" , "Early Access / Crowdfunded titles and their development progression", or "Roleplaying in MMORPGs"?

What are the facets of the streamer's behaviors do you enjoy? Conversely, what behaviors do you find annoying and limit your enjoyment of the streamer? Is there a preference for them to show their face or is voice-only acceptible, focusing the visual attention on the game at hand? Do you prefer a streamer to cultivate a notable persona (ie Silly with catch phrases, funny hats, and other memes, or flirty streamers who show up in soft-light makeup and tight/low-cut/cosplay/"geeky-sexy" clothes, or something else entirely?) or do you prefer a more "regular guy or girl" approach to an obvious character? What kind of audience participation elements do you prefer? Are giveaways a major factor and if so, what kind of items are desirable - physical (like hardware), digital (like games), or intangibles/services (access to spots to game with the host, chance to come on a "carry" run for a MMO raid etc)? Many established streamers are involved with charity in some way; does the type or frequency of said charity event play a role? Alternately, if you don't like streamers at all or find that the behavior of some offputting, let me know those elements as well.

Finally, what makes a streamer/channel worth subscribing, Twitch "cheering", donating, patreon, or other financial investment? What kind of perks are desirable for subscribers - special icons on the channel, preferential status/access on secondary community services like Mumble or Discord servers, extra chances to win various giveaways and chances? Is the charity element a major factor in contributing financially and if so, how? What makes it worth your money to donate or subscribe?

I know I tossed out a lot of questions earlier, but really its all framing the idea. Overall, I'm just most interested in knowing what makes a streamer/channel that you enjoy and especially those elements that make it worthwhile to subscribe or otherwise contribute financially; after all, people tend to only pay for something they really like and wish to support! Thanks!
 
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  1. Hearthstone, Fallout, & Skyrim "Let's Plays" and instructionals, & I only watch on YouTube at this time
  2. In a given day I will play Fallout 4, Skyrim, Hearthstone, Rainbow Six Siege, & whatever 'Indie' or Non-AAA title I'm feeling
  3. This next question is the meat and potatoes of your question. To me the key aspects of why people will enjoy and gravitate to a streamer are the great appeal of the streaming/channel content creators. What I personally look for is a personality, voice, and intonation that mimics my own. Some streamers I follow may vary greatly from each other in content but I can personally self-identify with all of them in some manner.
  4. I don't care much about how they dress, or if they show themselves as the gaming content I follow is the most important part of why I watch.
  5. I don't find myself drawn to giveaways or prizes. I am in my early-30's and financially stable.
  6. Their charity doesn't appeal to me.
  7. I don't cheer, donate, or patreon assist any gaming streamers I follow.
  8. I do intend to donate to non-gaming channels where I have a very strong reason to believe that the funds would benefit the content quality created by a small operator or the funds would assist in research/materials needed for creating content.
 
For me I tend to follow channels because I like the personality of the streamer(s) and the content they put out. They both have to click with me for it to be worth watching. If I don't like the games it's not really fun to watch them being played and if I don't like the personality of the person (or people) playing then it's annoying noise that's a distraction from the game itself. There are a lot of games I like and am interested in but only some of them I enjoy watching. I tend to gravitate more towards lpers and streamers that are down to Earth and focus more on the game and less on trying to force comedy or be something they're not. I especially like informative players, people that explain the ins and outs of a game and the decisions they're making, people that take the time to explore a game instead of rushing through it. I can enjoy some of that rushing and not paying enough attention stuff from some people, but for the most part is just frustrates me when lpers miss crucial information the game is blatantly telling them because they're too interested in yammering on about meaningless crap and clearly don't care about paying attention to the game.

I don't really care about giveaways and stuff like that and I'm not overly concerned if the streamer interacts with the chat a lot. It can be nice sometimes, especially with streamers that like getting help and advice from the chat, but it's not something I'm too concerned with. Most of the streamers I watch don't interact with the chat all that much outside of occasional down time.

I currently only subscribe to one Twitch channel, but that's because it's the one I'll watch almost every day. Not always for long, but most days I'll pop onto the stream to see what's going on and maybe stick around. Other streamers I follow either aren't big enough to enabled subscriptions yet or I tend to watch more often on Youtube or just catch the live streams more rarely due to one reason or another. Unforunately there simply isn't enough time in the day to watch all the videos on streams I'd like to so I pick and choose what to watch and when. I'm not opposed to donating money to streamers I like, but some of the smaller ones I'd rather donate to don't accept donations and I don't feel as compelled to do it for the bigger streamers though I have tossed some money towards them in the past.
 
Just try to be yourself and be entertaining.

Streaming is basically being in the entertainment industry.

If you can make your audience laugh or smile, you got in the bag.
 
It's easier to show than tell. This is the most entertaining guy I've found yet. Streams M-F 18:00-0:00
https://www.twitch.tv/lefrenchstallion

The thing I like about this guy that while he has a bunch of gimmicks to get subscribers, his attitude and passion come off as extremely genuine. If you try to force yourself to be something you're not, people will see it and be turned off by it.
 
Not some chic playing chess who admitted she hadn't played it in a long time. It was one of those free chess games too. She was on Twitch purely to try and scam sad sacks into donating money to her and used a free chess game. Just about all the girls on there are in it for the same reason. Opportunists.
 
so there's 3 categories that most viewers care about.. 1. being good at the game you're playing 2. being funny 3. being informative 4. engaging with the chat.. you don't have to be all 4 of these but being good at two of the 4 helps drastically.. also be patient you won't get viewers instantly, it's something that takes time patience and dedication and try to keep the same schedule.
 
Be good at the game. Be positive. Be charming and funny. Use curse-words very sparingly.

If you're of the female persuasion wear a lowcut top.
 
Thank you all for your input thus far! I certainly welcome any more opinions on discussion as the more data I have the better I can decide my course of action next.

Sayuki_relorded said:
Just try to be yourself and be entertaining.

Streaming is basically being in the entertainment industry.

If you can make your audience laugh or smile, you got in the bag.
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This is the kind of thing that concerns me. . I see a lot of the successful streamers (ie PewDiePie) seem to be "entertainment personas" with a curated "presence" from their physical appearance (if visible), to overall personality traits, to certain the way they interact with the community and their entire social image. I don't believe my natural personal lends itself well to this endeavor as I'm not a "life of the party" type (though I am not socially incapable or uncomfortable; ) and I never had desire to be a famous TV persona, so I have been considering streamers that don't fit into that field and are still successful. Overall, I see the most successful outside of the "entertainment" sphrere so to speak are typically those that show highest-levels of competency, are instructive, or give away something - tangible or otherwise . These are the streamers who show high (sometimes, e-sport ready) proficiency in a given title, watching someone rack up tremendous killstreaks / APM, or are instructive such as showcasing a difficult WoW Raid with their guild etc.. and generally give people a chance to see/learn play at a higher level than average In addition, I see those that give something away, from physical (usually well-heeled, sponsored streamers) to intangible (such as a chance to be carried on a WoW raid and win a difficult achievement) are also viable.

While I don't think I play at a high enough level to quality for showcasing my talent for that particular reason, I can think of a couple of special interest focus areas in addition to "playing major AAA titles that others likely play", if I was to put together a "variety" channel that could touch on multiple subjects. However, I wonder if multi-subject channels (ie Mondays I introduce a new indie title and review/play it, Wed I showcase gaming on Linux, Friday is MMORPG day especially new crowdfunded ones that others may not yet know about/have access, Saturday is mixed grab bag/discussion/request show) can thrive if the host if not one of the meme-a-riffic "entertainment persona" types. Single (primary) focus channels seem to be able to do so because people come to the channel for particular content (ie to see a Diamond league SC2 player) as opposed to the host as a zany personality.

Please keep offering feedback and suggestions - they've all be very helpful thus far.
 
Armenius said:
It's easier to show than tell. This is the most entertaining guy I've found yet. Streams M-F 18:00-0:00
https://www.twitch.tv/lefrenchstallion

The thing I like about this guy that while he has a bunch of gimmicks to get subscribers, his attitude and passion come off as extremely genuine. If you try to force yourself to be something you're not, people will see it and be turned off by it.
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Is this guy superhuman? He claims to have only been playing guitar for 3 years and he plays more like it's been 30 years. Unbelievable.
And how does anyone have that much energy? He just talks and talks and talks and never loses the excitement in his voice. Ugghhh. The envy is strong.
 
TwistedMetalGear said:
Is this guy superhuman? He claims to have only been playing guitar for 3 years and he plays more like it's been 30 years. Unbelievable.
And how does anyone have that much energy? He just talks and talks and talks and never loses the excitement in his voice. Ugghhh. The envy is strong.
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Speed
 
TwistedMetalGear said:
Is this guy superhuman? He claims to have only been playing guitar for 3 years and he plays more like it's been 30 years. Unbelievable.
And how does anyone have that much energy? He just talks and talks and talks and never loses the excitement in his voice. Ugghhh. The envy is strong.
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I mean, it doesn't take years to learn, but it does to master. He has decent playing ability, but his execution is severely lacking. His personality and energy is more the draw. Some people are just able to exude that for long periods of time. Myself, the mental exhaustion would take over long before the physical trying to keep that kind of character up for several hours straight.
 
I'm curious who these people are that are approaching you to stream and what their motives are.

In any case, streaming is like any other form of entertainment in that you need to pick a demographic and stick to it. Judging from how you present yourself here, it -appears- that you are well written and possess some analytical prowess. Perhaps you could host a channel with which you play games while going over the specific reason activity 'X' is better than activity 'Y' and get deep into the numbers part of game. While this aspect is not nearly important for people who play games to have fun, there has been a massive wave of "min/maxxer's" that spawned from the World of Warcraft and League of Legends generations of players as they are in constant search of the "meta" that's popular.

With a demographic like that, you would be able to at least pull in the viewership. Once that is accomplished it is up to the quality and quantity of your stream. You don't need crazy equipment, just average, and from the looks of your rig, you should be mostly fine. The Quantity portion is the time you put in. The more time you put in, the faster your will get a steady stream of viewership.

Take some time and do your research, look into streams and see what you enjoy yourself... as you are most likely to attract and retain viewers with similar interests.

Good luck!
 
Recently started my own Twitch channel to help increase exposure to my team's Total War mods, but I just stream whatever I'm playing when I'm not running a Game Night event for the mods. I'm actually very close to becoming an affiliate, so I'd appreciate it if some of my [H] brothers would toss a follow my way: https://www.twitch.tv/spartanvi

I generally run a Total War WARHAMMER "Game Night" event every weekend (Friday or Saturday), with my 3rd event coming up this Saturday at 7AM PT / 10AM ET / 2PM GMT so we can get some more participation from our UK/EU/Eastern Hemisphere fans.
 
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1. Having a solid schedule.
2. Having good production quality and alerts.
3. Having a funny and good personallity
4. Being good at the specific game or playing new games patches or content not everyone can play.
 
SPARTAN VI said:
Recently started my own Twitch channel to help increase exposure to my team's Total War mods, but I just stream whatever I'm playing when I'm not running a Game Night event for the mods. I'm actually very close to becoming an affiliate, so I'd appreciate it if some of my [H] brothers would toss a follow my way: https://www.twitch.tv/spartanvi

I generally run a Total War WARHAMMER "Game Night" event every weekend (Friday or Saturday), with my 3rd event coming up this Saturday at 7AM PT / 10AM ET / 2PM GMT so we can get some more participation from our UK/EU/Eastern Hemisphere fans.
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I'll give you a follow later tonight.

How do you know you are close to affiliate? Once upon a time I was averaging 400 people concurrently viewing a night for over 3 months and I was never approached.
 
Shantarr said:
I'll give you a follow later tonight.

How do you know you are close to affiliate? Once upon a time I was averaging 400 people concurrently viewing a night for over 3 months and I was never approached.
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Thanks!

To be eligible you need at least 50 followers, 500 minutes of content within the past 30 days, 7 unique streams within the past 30 days, and at least 3 concurrent viewers. Within a few weeks of becoming eligible, you should get an affiliate invite.

(edit) For typo/mistakes
 
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Tits more or less. I'd never waste time watching a guy stream on Youtube or Twitch. There's no point and most of them are annoying fuck bags.
 
Shantarr said:
I'm curious who these people are that are approaching you to stream and what their motives are.

In any case, streaming is like any other form of entertainment in that you need to pick a demographic and stick to it. Judging from how you present yourself here, it -appears- that you are well written and possess some analytical prowess. Perhaps you could host a channel with which you play games while going over the specific reason activity 'X' is better than activity 'Y' and get deep into the numbers part of game. While this aspect is not nearly important for people who play games to have fun, there has been a massive wave of "min/maxxer's" that spawned from the World of Warcraft and League of Legends generations of players as they are in constant search of the "meta" that's popular.

With a demographic like that, you would be able to at least pull in the viewership. Once that is accomplished it is up to the quality and quantity of your stream. You don't need crazy equipment, just average, and from the looks of your rig, you should be mostly fine. The Quantity portion is the time you put in. The more time you put in, the faster your will get a steady stream of viewership.

Take some time and do your research, look into streams and see what you enjoy yourself... as you are most likely to attract and retain viewers with similar interests.

Good luck!
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The majority of those who encourage me to stream have enjoyed my (mostly text) content and think it would be worth it to expand into another media form. Others know that my medical-related charity of choice is a worthy cause but comparatively underserved illness in both the streaming community and fundraising in general (as opposed to something like say, Child's Play or St. Jude, which have a huge presence), so if I was able to have a successful stream it would be beneficial for a deserving cause. There are a few other reasons I've heard, but those are the primary ones.

I thank you for the compliment and I like to think I can often add something to the discussion. In fact, one reason I am considering streaming is that I tend to write at a length and depth that I'm told is greatly appreciated by those who read through it, but is overlooked by others unwilling to read something of length. Those fans of my content referenced above have, especially thanks to a cultural shift of "twitterization", suggested that expanding my content into streaming/videos would assist, as the same content that looks like a wall of text when wiritten is more widely accessible when spoken

I did consider making my channel primarily informative and I do think that my opinions, reviews, and advice on play will certainly be a significant part of it, but I don't know if I can properly align to target the "min/maxer/meta hardcore Theorycrafting" demographic. While I like to think I am relatively knowledgeable over a range of content, I don't feel that I could add much to the "hardcore theorycrafting" content. There are already "go to" channels for hardcore theorycrafting (or even the results thereof interpreted for more casual use) and I don't feel that I play at a sufficient level parity, much less be able to offer anything new. For instance, I've played World of Warcraft for a long time and have raided for years, but I'm not part of a world-first guild, I don't raid on Mythic difficulty, and I usually browse the strategies from Icy Veins, MMO Champion etc, not being one of the first to develop them. In MOBA I play casually and end up in mid-level leagues if I play in ranked mode at all etc. This is not to say I don't have advice to give, but this is why I don't think I can target a channel aimed at the hardcore demographic and instead must find an audience that comes to my channel for other aspects as well.

Before we get into the technical elements of streaming quality, I've been wondering how the community reacts to (male) streamers who don't show their face? For privacy reasons I've not a big fan of broadcasting my real-world appearance, but looking at many streams (especially those that become financially lucrative), I'd say 2/3 of those streamers do so. Thus, I wonder if I am adding a moderate or greater impediment to attracting viewership by not doing so? My original plan was to simply focus the visual part of the stream on the game or other content, while speaking alongside/over the streamed content. I suppose I could go as far as having special events where I show...something on a webcam, such as my desk/hands, or perhaps digitally removing my face from the stream (or wearing a mask), but I was hoping to spend the majority of my streaming broadcasting the content exclusively.

Oh and I recently saw another thread created discussing streaming, so I welcome all general discussion/questions here from technical elements to programming - maybe we can help each other!

Thanks again for everyone weighing in, especially those with experience in the field.
 
It is completely possible to be successful with no camera. Lirik, one of the larger streamers has never been on webcam to the best of my knowledge. However, he does get invited to events and it's there that his pictures are taken and easily available. So keep in mind that to be successful means being in the public eye eventually.
 
Shantarr said:
It is completely possible to be successful with no camera. Lirik, one of the larger streamers has never been on webcam to the best of my knowledge. However, he does get invited to events and it's there that his pictures are taken and easily available. So keep in mind that to be successful means being in the public eye eventually.
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Lirik is an anomaly. He started streaming in the very early Twitch days and gained his following that way. I can't think of any new streamers who go cam-less and experience success.
 
Shantarr said:
It is completely possible to be successful with no camera. Lirik, one of the larger streamers has never been on webcam to the best of my knowledge. However, he does get invited to events and it's there that his pictures are taken and easily available. So keep in mind that to be successful means being in the public eye eventually.
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I'm glad to hear it. If I ever got so successful that I was invited to an event that would be something different, more like a business engagement or a networking opportunity I expect. I know that Twitch changed their system awhile ago so there are different "levels" with different requirement aren't there - Affiliate and Partner at least? I assume YouTube has something similar. I'm guessing that only a relatively small amount of people ever make it to "professional" level where they can make a a sole income from streaming; that's probably the point when you get invited to events, get sponsorships from various hardware manufacturers for your own gear and giveaways, or approached by game developers for paying gigs (ie I remember that Ubisoft had FarCry Primal's main video ad being exclusively Streamers playing the game and reacting to it). I don't have an illusions I'll make it anywhere close to those heights, but I admit it would be nice to one day make a significant income supplement. If I start such a venture I'll concentrate on my content's quality and hopefully the viewers who enjoy it, and if it becomes profitable so much the better, but ultimately it may just be for fun.

Pringle said:
Lirik is an anomaly. He started streaming in the very early Twitch days and gained his following that way. I can't think of any new streamers who go cam-less and experience success.
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Ah so you feel this fellow is an outlier. Why do you think new cam-less streamers aren't successful?
 
Xaeos said:
Ah so you feel this fellow is an outlier. Why do you think new cam-less streamers aren't successful?
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I'm no expert, at all. But I would venture a guess and say being on cam is a way to connect with your audience. It works for Lirik because he's always had his audience.

If anyone has any examples of a Twitch streamer who routinely pulls in 1000+ views while going cam-less, I'm more than interested in knowing who they are. But I can almost (almost) guarantee they're old-school streamers from as far back as JustinTV.
 
I didn't have 1000 but I did get 450+ on most evenings, with no camera, streaming ARMA 3 Altis Life mod on Asylum gaming servers. It took 1.5 years of streaming 4 hours a night minimum about 4 nights a week to get there though. I did not mind at all, though, as it was very fun for me!

I would still be doing it, if not for life getting in the way.
 
Shantarr said:
Nahbro, ALL ABOARD THE HYPE TRAIN!!!
/s

xD
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I can't count how many streamers have started streaming recently, snagged a few subs, and assumed that number would steadily rise enough to quit their primary job. But it's so important to remember that ever since Amazon Prime subs and "Sub-tember" happened, people now have the means to subscribe for free/discount and rarely spend that sub on the same streamer month in and month out. It makes it tough for a small time streamer to get a general idea of what their consistent monthly income will be.
 
Pringle said:
I can't count how many streamers have started streaming recently, snagged a few subs, and assumed that number would steadily rise enough to quit their primary job. But it's so important to remember that ever since Amazon Prime subs and "Sub-tember" happened, people now have the means to subscribe for free/discount and rarely spend that sub on the same streamer month in and month out. It makes it tough for a small time streamer to get a general idea of what their consistent monthly income will be.
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This seems like it could be remedied relatively simply, if Twitch would give all users who are able to collect subs (minimum Affiliate level, right?) a breakdown of how many of their subs are "free Prime" subs, how many are "paid real money" subs, how many repeats they've gotten in both Prime and paid subs etc.... Something like this wouldn'n't fix all info gaps of course, but seems like it could help. Unless they already provide this breakdown and there is something keeping it from being useful?
 
Xaeos said:
This seems like it could be remedied relatively simply, if Twitch would give all users who are able to collect subs (minimum Affiliate level, right?) a breakdown of how many of their subs are "free Prime" subs, how many are "paid real money" subs, how many repeats they've gotten in both Prime and paid subs etc.... Something like this wouldn'n't fix all info gaps of course, but seems like it could help. Unless they already provide this breakdown and there is something keeping it from being useful?
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They probably do provide some sort of information/breakdown on a dashboard (Prime subs and Regular/tiered subs show up differently in chat). I'm more-so just pointing out the fact that nowadays, there are many more variables to take into account than there were when Twitch first started.
 
Bringing this thread back up for more discussion...

First, I was on trans-costal flight last month and had the chance to sit next to someone who turned out to be a professional Twitch streamer (in first class no less!) flying out for Twitch Con. It was very interesting to talk to her and she was equally surprised that I knew about Twitch, gamed etc. As it turns out she also has a management company which sought her out when she became enough of a presence. Checking out her Stream I was rather amazed at the varied revenue streams - not just Twitch Partner stuff, but also Patreon (she also cosplays and it seeemed her Patreon granted special, but not nude, photoshoots to higher donors), wishlists, and some sponsorships too. She told me most of the time she plays what she wishes, but occasionally she's given something to play "marching orders" by the management company when a sponsor basically pays to have their game displayed - I forgot to ask if those were marked as sponsored during the viewing or not. . It is my impression that her gender, cosplaying, and physical appearance (including the work and way she chooses to display them) has played a role in her success alongside her personality (or persona in the event her public face is notably different from her personality naturally), but she has certainly put effort into cultivating these elements to obtain donations. During our conversation she found the idea of significant, professional level success without falling into the handful of roles that seem to be available to men and women, to be an interesting proposition and that what Twitch has evolved into with the host as the "entertainer" was different than the original idea. All in all an interesting conversation with someone who has been successful in the field.

That said, I am interested in discussing the more technical elements of a stream. Its little surprise that as streamers become more successful, they also bolster their technical elements, hardware and software alike. While streaming hardware is in many ways tweaked to fit your needs, I have noticed that in general items such as higher quality cameras/mics and the AV setup as a whole improves first while other features such as portable green screens and capture/mixing hardware are added. Which of these do you feel add the most to those streams you watch and/or make your own streams more successful / easier? What hardware would you choose?

Mics and Audio - Many streamers (be they on camera or off) often start with a standard headphone/headset w/boom mic setup. This can vary in quality, but does have the benefit of at least keeping game sounds more or less away from the mic itself if your headphones have good isolation. I get the impression that quality jumps considerably when transitioning to a "real" standalone broadcasting mic. As a side benefit for me personally,I'd be more comfortable without having to wear headphones for long periods of time. Popular mics seem to be the various models from Blue Microphones and Razer, notably the Yeti and Seiren models respectively. Each of these also has sub-models that offers various options (ie Pro models with XLR input, multiple different condenser capsules etc) and a accessories such as hanging shock mounts and pop filters. One reason I was thinking of picking these up for streaming was the tweakable, often focused cardioid pick up pattern meaning that keypresses and game sounds through speakers or headphones would be less likely to come through. In addition, I hear the audio quality improvement means that your voice is often less "tinny" or distorted so especially for men with deeper or more resonant voices they are less likely to sound higher pitched on recording etc. With a stand-alone mic, how do you handle the audio from your game or VOIP? Speakers? Headset? None at all? Do you need to connect directly to your mic and monitor your output? I'm guessing the actual content audio can be recorded "natively" through your capture/broadcast program. Does a stand-al;one mic enhance your viewing or broadcasting experience? Or is a quality boom mic/headset sufficient?

Cameras - These days, it seems there are plenty of 1080P 30FPS cameras for relatively cheap. However, more advanced models out there offer better features and enhanced specs. I am guessing that the Logitech C922 Pro (note: The C920 is basically the same-ish price but lacks some of the features of the newer, refreshed C922 so I'd definitely take it if you want the 60fps, H264 AVC encoding and others) is the high-quality "baseline" for a 1080p 30 / 720p 60 cam. It seems to have quality lenses, low light broadcasting, background replacement compatibility, a foldable/clampable tripod base/mount, omnidirectional dual mics, and overall a nice setup for the price. Alternately, there is the Razer Kioh which is similar in some ways yet its major advertised feature is its "LED Ring lighting", providing flattering portrait, daylight temp lighting which I assume helps to dull the appearance of blemishes and avoid shadows/lines etc. However, it does seem that at least advertised spec and feature wise the Logi C922 has the advantage, but I'd need a real breakdown of their full specs and features to see. There is also a small group of highest-end specialty webcams that now include such elements as 4K support, infrared sensing and using top quality components; I wonder if they're worth it. The Logitech 4K Pro seems to be the cream of the crop, with 4K 30fps and 1080P 60fps, infrared detection, a special lighting element of its own with HDR support, and much much more - including an external privacy shutter which I consider a nice little extra. Are there any others? For awhile I seem to remember how Intel had this special certification for webcams capable of infrared sensing (I think) and depth, but I don;t know if anything came of it much less anything useful for streaming. I assume that anything that allows for better image quality, with tracking and lighting features will be more aesthetically pleasing and require less "studio construction' or post/editing work. Any particular features really helpful for when you stream or neat to watch? How about any streamers that use a webcam but don't show their face/typical portrait shots - such as those who maybe only show their hands, wear a mask, or show off their desktop etc...?

Capture cards and devices - Especially those who play on consoles, it seems that capture cards are often used by streamers. These days, I'm not sure if there is any purpose to them for PC gamers (ie do they do onboard hardware encoding or otherwise take the work off the system ) but there seems to be development in the region from the venerable Hauppage (which I recall doing TV capture/viewing back near the turn of the millennium) to AVermedia, to Elgato (which seems to be the new king of the hill). Most of the recommended cards by Twitch and whatnot are HDMI capturing 1080P; the better ones being 60FPS. Elgato seems to be making a new PCI-E 4K 60fps model with a lot of other nextr-gen features, available for pre-order now and release in a couple of days. The only downside is the price, which seems to be $350-400; early adopter fee indeed. For awhile I was looking after a capture card from Black Magic Design, but I was surprised that they've not kept up with Elgato's latest offerings; I suppose they focus mostly upon professional-level studio stuff but I always liked that they had Linux compatibility early on and quality hardware. Are capture cards worthwhile for PC streamers, or pretty much only needed for console players?

Misc - I see there are a number of streamer-focused accessories available these days in terms of hardware. For instance, green screens are some of the most common and range from all kinds of low-cost models on Amazon (sometimes with a flimsy stand included or none at all, made of cheap vinyls, and if the reviews ar accurate sometimes are not properly chroma key ready due to color or blemish) to those like Elgato's compact, pop-up mechanical variant with a cloth screen; the higher pricetag expected for convenience and quality. I am to understand that they are used for chroma key background removal to get that 'you superimposed over your game" look, but I have to wonder of their necessity. There are many cameras, including those I've mentioned claim to be able to do the "green screen effect" or background removal without an actual green screen and/or software capable of helping this effect along. Do you really get a better experience using an actual green screen backdrop? Likewise, how does this compare to say.. using a sheet or some other sort of budget-friendly setup to get a "blank" background? Besides green screens, there are other streaming-targeted widgets such as the Elgato Stream Deck. This device provides a number of physical buttons with LCDs meant to call down macros with ease. While this could be done with your keyboard and/or perhaps a mobile phone, proponents and Elgato themselves say that the visually identifiable and tactile keys add to ease of use while streaming - I can see how this could be, but I suppose its up to the individual if such things are worth the cost.

So what's your experience streaming or watching streamers in regards to hardware? What really makes a difference and what is only a nice convenience? Next time I'll be interested in discussing software but I figure this is long enough for now!
 
Most of the big streamers have a separate streaming PC that does all the capture work. Takes all the extra load off their gaming PC, and probably allows them to do a more complex presentation. Mic-wise, I think most of them use Blue Yetis or something similar on a boom with a pop filter. IIRC, Elgato is the go-to capture device, too.
 
Did you have a sibling who grew up with you? or ever have friends over and you sat next to eachother and played games? That's the sort of thing a lot of people are "getting" out of twitch streaming. Even though on the surface they might say the streamer "plays well" or "is really funny" or "is informative and improves my own play" etc....underneath that, people want someone to sit next to and play with and/or watch play. Just like my brother and I growing up. Or the times I had friends over or visited friend's houses. The Xbox marketing campaign of "its good to play together" was tugging on exactly that.

You don't need to be hilarious or great at the game or a trove of knowledge and instruction. Make the viewer feel like they are right there next to you. Talk to them like that. Mention every little thing you think of, while playing the game. if your imagination is stimulated and you feel like trying something weird or off track, do it. Just as you might, with a friend in the room. If you don't know everything about a game, fine. But if you ever wonder about some detail, vocalize it. Maybe even poll your audience to see if someone knows (or if someone can google it real quick and pretend to know).

Also, act like you are having fun. Don't crap on every negative aspect of the game. Point them out, sure. But don't constantly twist on those details. Even if you are playing a bad game for the hell of it. Make it seem like a joyful venture.
 
bpizzle1 said:
Most of the big streamers have a separate streaming PC that does all the capture work. Takes all the extra load off their gaming PC, and probably allows them to do a more complex presentation. Mic-wise, I think most of them use Blue Yetis or something similar on a boom with a pop filter. IIRC, Elgato is the go-to capture device, too.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I've heard this as well. So how does this work? So the game is being played on the gaming PC, offloaded somehow through a daisy-chained capture device (ie Elgato PCI-E card) on another PC? Then the webcam (if used) and other features are all connected to the secondary streaming/encoding PC, which finally does the stream itself? So the gaming PC is only used for the game and...maybe communicating with the streamers and whatnot? Or is that also on a separate PC?

chameleoneel said:
Did you have a sibling who grew up with you? or ever have friends over and you sat next to eachother and played games? That's the sort of thing a lot of people are "getting" out of twitch streaming. Even though on the surface they might say the streamer "plays well" or "is really funny" or "is informative and improves my own play" etc....underneath that, people want someone to sit next to and play with and/or watch play. Just like my brother and I growing up. Or the times I had friends over or visited friend's houses. The Xbox marketing campaign of "its good to play together" was tugging on exactly that.

You don't need to be hilarious or great at the game or a trove of knowledge and instruction. Make the viewer feel like they are right there next to you. Talk to them like that. Mention every little thing you think of, while playing the game. if your imagination is stimulated and you feel like trying something weird or off track, do it. Just as you might, with a friend in the room. If you don't know everything about a game, fine. But if you ever wonder about some detail, vocalize it. Maybe even poll your audience to see if someone knows (or if someone can google it real quick and pretend to know).

Also, act like you are having fun. Don't crap on every negative aspect of the game. Point them out, sure. But don't constantly twist on those details. Even if you are playing a bad game for the hell of it. Make it seem like a joyful venture.
Click to expand...

This is actually a really, really great way to look at it. If that's what people are going for really, it makes streaming much more appealing compared to the "be an entertainment caricature!" outlook on it - at least for me. Thanks.
 
Xaeos said:
Interesting. I've heard this as well. So how does this work? So the game is being played on the gaming PC, offloaded somehow through a daisy-chained capture device (ie Elgato PCI-E card) on another PC? Then the webcam (if used) and other features are all connected to the secondary streaming/encoding PC, which finally does the stream itself? So the gaming PC is only used for the game and...maybe communicating with the streamers and whatnot? Or is that also on a separate PC?
Click to expand...

I talked to a guy on twitch about you who replied:

correct - communicating with the streams can be done from yoru gaming pc
and that is how it is all linked together
but your video capture is sent to another pc to be uploaded to twitch

I can PM his contact info to you & you can friend him on twitch
 
Thanks again everyone. Bringing this up for your input! I've started to run a few test streams with radically different personas, modalities, and content (such that is possible without a massive investment of time, money etc... .) just to see what seems to hit as well as what I can enjoy (at least for me, if I'm not enjoying it it isn't worth it; looking at the whole thing as crafting for maximum ROI is a totally different beast) I must admit though coming to a conclusive decision will take more time than I may be able/willing to put into such an endeavor without streaming for "real" so to speak, as we all know that building a viewership takes time alongside effort. That said, what everyone has discussed here has been helpful.

As I've mentioned before, one thing I would greatly prefer is not to show my face/identity on camera. I have many reasons for this from personal preference and privacy, to advocacy for Internet privacy/anonymity, but many suggest that it could have viewership consequences. As the "streamer as entertainer" culture has become a big element especially among the younger viewership, relatively few (male) streamers do not go on video. Someone told me that of the "biggest names" out there, only "LIRIK" does not use a webcam. Especially for those starting out, lack of visual presence seems to negatively effect the bond between viewers and broadcaster - which I can understand to a degree, as it means your "brand" may not be associated with a face. With this in mind, I've found a bit of tech that I wanted to discuss here, especially if anyone had serious experience with it.

I'll call it "Avatar Presence" software, but most people recognize it by the most popular vendor - FaceRig - https://facerig.com/ . For those unaware, this allows your webcam to use face/body detection and mapping and then outputs this onto a virtual avatar. Common built in 3d variants include anthropomorphic animals, silly characters like a cheeseburger, fantasy characters and more. There are several versions, the basic variant and the Pro license (which allows further monetization but doesn't really expand the feature set I don't think) I picked up during a Steam sale for ultra cheap on a whim, and remember it could be a solution to my problem. Alas, it seems only the "FaceRig Studio" - which costs a whopping $300 for the personal edition, is the one with enhanced mocap and some neat feature. On top of this, it also will require a plugin for my particular uses that costs another few hundred, so that - at least officially -is off the table; If I use it at all, it will be FaceRig w/Pro license. The second part of it is dependent on another technology - Live2D - http://www.live2d.com/en/download . Essentially, Live2D is a Japanese company that makes lots of software for enhancement and animation of 2D style characters and whatnot. FaceRig has a plugin that allows the import and use of avatars created with Live2D technology (notably their Cubism 3 editor) to have the same kinds of features as the generally 3D modeled avatars that FaceRig started focusing upon.

Seeing the convergence of this tech, I have considered that it could be an answer to my predicament! Using an Avatar of any kind will mean I can have an active "presence" when streaming, without it being my real world identity! Of course, for this to "work" I will need a personalized avatar - it wont' do for an identity to be using a generic one, outside of testing. Live2D comes into the picture as I figure that A) it may be easier to have a good-looking anime style avatar created compared to a 3D modeled one and B) I generally favor the anime style anyway and feel it would be more enjoyable. So with this in mind, I've poked around seeing what it might take to bring this to fruition. Does anyone here have any experience with this sort of software combination? From what I've gathered, I will need to commission a "rig" of my character and the amount of detail I want it to have will of course up both the amount of commissioned artwork as well as the tech implementation itself. There are tons of people out there drawing anime-styled art, and probably a subset of them who can work in Live2D Cubism and be sure to export it in a FaceRig friendly format, but I've not looked for commissioned anime artwork of quality so if anyone has advice of where I should go to start to look for this sort of thing - anime artwork in general seems to takeplace in its own subculture communities (ie the "boorus" image boards, deviantart, and more private places too)? If I can find an artist I really like and who does good work, I would ideally like a rather in depth character "rig" with lots of neat features, but I can always start with the general "replicating what an average human on camera" could show., so movement, facial expressions and other animations. If it works out, more extensive things can be implemented from what I hear, especially if I have an artist on commission (ie different variants of my character to go along with different games - Star Citizen flight suit, WoW Elven getup etc..) If you've ever set up a custom Live2D Facerig avatar, I'd certainly be interested in your experience!

I've seen there is a community of "virtual youtubers/streamers" who usually equip a feminine anime-style avatar and perhaps a voice-changer as well - examples: https://kotaku.com/the-invasion-of-virtual-anime-girl-youtubers-1821940758 - So in a way I know there's a "market". However, if that extends to those who want to see a male avatar with my natural voice, who's to know. In any event, I figure it may be worth looking into. Thanks!

P.S. - One possible issue is that I prefer Linux when possible, yet it seems that both FaceRig and Live2D seem to be generally Windows focused (though Live2D does have a cross platform SDK). Is anyone aware of a parity Avatar Presence software compatible with FaceRig+Live2D filetypes, yet native on Linux? If not, have they ever run the programs themselves via WINE or virtualization as part of a streaming setup?
 
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