Players throughout the world are utilizing programs that enable them to stream live feeds of their video games. Through the access of websites such as Twitch.tv, players are able to make thousands of dollars by their streams.
A lot of people don’t understand how or why people would want to sit there and watch another person play video games rather than playing the games themselves, let alone sit there and donate money to specific streamers every month. However, it is growing in popularity among gamers. Popular competitive games such as “League of Legends” and the rise of e-sports has given this new line of entertainment a niche.
Thousands of viewers tune in through their PC or through gaming consoles such as the Xbox 360 and the Xbox One to streams of their favorite video games or even their favorite professional gamers.
Through donations, players are compensating their income, quitting their jobs and devoting time to streaming daily. Popular “Minecraft” streamer Dataless822 allegedly has a donator that contributes approximately $1,000 monthly.
Twitch makes money through their advertisements, Turbo subscriptions (which removes ads from streams), as well as streamer subscriptions. In order for Twitch to support you, they have to know that you’re worth the investment. If you want to become a partner in Twitch, which allows you the ability to charge monthly subscriptions of $4.99, streamers need to prove that they have enough of a steady following of their stream. Once they can show that they have a steady following of their stream, they need to submit an application to Twitch.
Donations, however, are a different story. Streamers are able to set up their own donation system, which typically runs through Paypal. Big and recent donations are usually displayed on the streamer’s Twitch page.
This isn’t the only way streamers are making money through Twitch. YouTube is looking to jump onto the streaming bandwagon with the options to stream live events and upload directly from Twitch onto your personal YouTube channel.
So, that leaves the question why and how amateur gamers are able to make money through people subscribing, donating and watching live streams of video games. Gamers now have the ability to spectate the professionals and get ideas on how to better their gameplay. It offers insight into strategy and can help give gamers an edge they haven’t had before. And a lot of those gamers are willing to pay for it.
It is a new side to the multibillion-dollar industry that is now being tapped into, and every player would like a piece of it. The chance to actually be paid for playing a video game is every gamer’s dream, from 5 to 55 years old.
