Ever since the mid-twentieth century, games have been an essential part of teen or pre-teen pop culture. From the renowned arcade game, Pacman to the thrilling ‘Grand Theft Auto’ series, games have been and essential business to the entertainment industry.

However, many of the older generations fail to understand the growing popularity of gameplay and E-sports.

So what is the appeal of Gameplay videos?

There are many aspects of the gaming industry that contribute to its populatrity.

E-Sports

 These gameplay competitions are widely popular, especially for major games such as ‘League of Legends’. Spectators come to a large stadium to watch famous expert players participate in an intense competition in a certain game. This is the competition of players who have reached the pinnacle of skill and success when it comes to a competitive playing. Spectators are mostly interested in the anticipating and thrilling atmosphere and particular techniques of a team or a certain player. E-sports is somewhat similar to watching football or basketball matches- the players of each team have had intensive training and are all exceptionally skilled at their role in that particular team.

Professional Gamers

 Even when not in a tournament, pro gamers will often stream their practice sessions and run ads for a relatively small but reliable source of income. People tend to tune into these types of streams to study the playstyles of these top level players and learn. This is also where fans can get the most insight as to the personalities of these professionals, much like knowing the personality of your favourite actor or singer.

Entertainers

 Sometimes, people tune into a stream for the entertainment value of the person/channel as well as the game itself. The popular ‘PewDiePie’ channel, for instance is one of the many successful gaming channels on Youtube, with over 54 million subscribers. The personality of these gamers usually provide a comfortable environment for viewers to enjoy the game with.

New Releases

Often times, watching a review of a game is not enough for one to make an informed decision as to whether or not a game is worth purchasing. Videos and commentary provided by online gamers is an effective way of getting a flavour of the game you are purchasing.

As well as this, most of the audience are young and probably cannot afford to buy multiple games at a time. By watching gameplay online, not only do they not miss out on a potent, controversial discussion topic, these videos are a free, readily-available alternative to stay in touch with their favourite games

 

Overall, the gaming industry has grown so much. This can be clearly seen when one of the most watched American late night show hosts, Jimmy Kimmel was aggressively attacked after he ridiculed the concept of watching someone play a game when they could indeed play it themselves.

 

 

Reference: https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/1cf1z2/what_is_the_appeal_of_watching_streaming_of/