I wrote an article about Fortnite the other day that talked about the reasons Fortnite is really popular. One of the reasons I stated is that it is a great game to watch. It is a contained experience, a set amount of time and gets more and more intense as the player(s) get closer to that number one spot. And it is not Fortnite but other games that have capitalized on streaming to become popular and even some from youtube videos like survival horror games. Is this the new way we judge the popularity of a game?
For one thing this is a string of free advertising games didn't have before. Popular players pick up your game and streaming it to their viewers, some, in turn, buy the game. And the games that are really popular become viral sensations themselves. There are games I waned to play that I would never have heard of if not for a stream of a youtube video. The only downside is when a game is a heavy story based game. If you watch someone play it from start to finish it might no longer be a game you want to buy.
But games that are esports friendly or online experiences that can't really be spoiled can really get pushed from an online stream. These are streams that help players get better themselves and create a cycle that fuels the community of a game. With that in mind do you think a lot of game companies are keeping streaming in mind when they make games? It definitely helps with sales.
It is a new world of gaming.
