Here's 5 things you'll need to know before you become a internet famous super star, or pro Esport gamer! We're not gonna teach you how to play the games, (you gotta do that yourself!) but this is just about everything you'll need to know in order to be prepared for your sudden internet popularity, and also how to get you there!
No one could've predicted the rise of YouTube gamers (like Pewdiepie pictured above, with over 54 million subscribers since April 2017). However, it's obvious to see the Let's Play Channels have tremendously affected YouTube and video game culture. For instance, according to this article, titled "How Pewdiepie Conquered YouTube" by Chris Gaylor: "ten of the Top 50 YouTube channels air the same kind of Let's Play videos. And the top broadcasters can earn six-figure incomes from advertising on their channels." ()
YouTube is where live streaming began, and there's already a huge community on there as well! So this is a bonus especially if you want to be a part of the YouTube community, and if you also want to show off your video game skills by creating a Let's Play channel on there. You can also connect with other YouTubers, even if they're not a Let's Play Channel! Unfortunately, since there is already such a large community of Let's Players, there is a lot of competition for you. It may be difficult for you to gain a quick follower base, especially with competition from another popular gaming site. . .
Now, Twitch has also entered the picture! Twitch, which was created in June of 2011, is a website that "primarily focuses on video gaming, including playthroughs of video games, broadcasts of eSports competitions, creative content, and more recently, music broadcasts. Content on the site can either be viewed live or via video on demand." (Found here: ) Even though it's relatively newer than YouTube, "in the three years since Twitch officially launched, its traffic has grown from 3.2 million unique viewers per month to 45 million. More than 1 million video game players broadcast themselves on the platform." (Found from an article by the LA Times.) Twitch is an extremely popular video gaming streaming site, and it's gaining a ton of popularity in the gaming community!
Twitch has revolutionized the new community for live streaming video games. Let's Plays are a new form of entertainment, and you should get in on it! Whether you are just watching other gamers, or actually creating an account on Twitch or YouTube, you are helping create a new community! A community where watching games are common and normal! Which reminds me of another aspect of the Let's Play community, Esports!
Now, this is a field where more advanced players can join. Sick of just getting by with the measly subscription revenue from YouTube and Twitch? Think you can take on some of the best gamers in the world? Let's try Esports!
Esports is: "eSports (also known as electronic sports, esports, e-sports, competitive (video) gaming, professional (video) gaming, or pro gaming) is a form of competition that is facilitated by electronic systems, particularly video games; the input of players and teams as well as the output of the eSports system are mediated by human-computer interfaces." (As found from the official Esports website). Also, in case you were wondering, Esports is a pretty lucrative career. According to an article by Nick Wingfield, the winning prize at a Seattle Esport competition was $11 million! Additionally, the fans are a huge plus. With 215 million Esport enthusiasts and growing, () this proves that Esports probably isn't going away, and if you have what it takes to become the next Esport superstar, this could be your chance for fame and fortune!
Not everyone is cut out for online fame! Becoming an internet star means a lot of your life is being shared with the internet, and you have a lot of people who are interested in seeing whatever you share on the internet as well! If you reach a high amount of subscribers, you are likely to receive a lot of views on your videos and live-streams, and you are also likely to receive some backlash on some videos.
In January of 2017, Pewdiepie received criticism for one of his videos. He ended up getting banned from a website, and losing some of his advertisement sponsors, which resulted in a loss of ad revenue. Because he has such a large audience, he is always under scrutiny for everything he says or does. And if he says something that disagrees with some of his sponsors, you can see what could happen to his ad revenue.
Additionally, there are a lot of dangers of just being on the internet without being a massively popular Let's Player. We've all heard about the dangers of the digital age, since the internet can easily hide weirdos behind the anonymity of internet avatars. For instance, there is a story about a woman who had to flee her house because a stalker online vowed to rape and kill her. (Here's the link: ) The article discusses "Gamergate" which is a collection of a very vocal minority of male gamers who think they need to violently prevent women reporters from destroying online gaming communities. This is an extreme example of some of the negative consequences of becoming an online gamer, however it is important to share stories like this to ensure that you are aware of some of the dangers. Also, it is important to share so more people are aware of these issues, and can contribute to improving this community!
Esports and Let's Play gaming is still a relatively new community! Even if you're feeling overwhelmed about jumping into this vast world of gaming, there's so many little things you can do in order to begin slowly. It's very unlikely you are going to become a internet superstar in one night, so it's okay if you take a while before getting completely invested in it.
One simple way of starting in this community is just by watching other YouTubers and Twitch streams! Eventually, you can join the conversation by adding comments, and joining conversations. Joining conversations is the best way of adding your presence into this new digital community. Then, you can create an account and start new conversations of your own by introducing new videos and entertainment for other people!
Overall, the goal of all of this community is to connect with people. That's how communities form! People are drawn together by their similar interests, and then everyone involved can enjoy their interests together! Remember to have fun while making videos or playing games, and even if you don't get a lot of followers, you can still make a lot of new friends, and fun memories. And if you decide you want to become a Esport star, don't stress yourself out, and also remember to enjoy yourself! Good luck future internet sensation!
