Streaming is an entirely unexpected, surprising, and even paradoxical phenomenon. Think about it: all of us live with the understanding that passive observation should always be preferred to active action. We know this immutable truth, believe in it, and follow this precept in life in every possible way. So how do we explain the crazy popularity of gaming and live streaming, which has more than 100 million users worldwide? Twitch and YouTube are bursting at the seams with streamers and their loyal viewers. Is it human nature to watch after all? I think that’s only part of the answer. The appeal of streaming comes from the fact that you can always start streaming yourself.
Generally speaking, streaming is a versatile and all-encompassing concept. This article will help you learn the ins and outs of this newly emerging “streaming” world and specifically focus on the most popular, gaming streaming.
Gaming Streaming
Today Twitch has more than 100 million users, more than 3 million streams watched daily, and the Internet is filled with many other similar streaming platforms. This platform also streams many esports games, the betting tips for which can be found here.
Mark Zuckerberg recently announced his streaming site within Facebook. Valve, which already has its streaming service on Steam, has introduced an “external” streaming service that streams games that can be played directly to smartphones. And YouTube, not wanting to share the glory with Twitch, is actively promoting its game streaming service, YouTube Gaming.
Streaming gameplay has become a vital boon for people looking to buy a game. Forgetting piracy for a moment, we can remember how expensive a copy of a mainstream game is today. In the West, users pay around $60 for a CD.
Meanwhile, in contrast to teasers, trailers, and other enticements, the streaming gives a whole idea of what the game is all about. Most often, these are games that are already out or in early access, but more and more streamers, working under contract with the developers, are streaming pre-release videos: a veritable gold mine for fans of the upcoming game!
For their part, streamers are earning fabulous money from their activities – no less than the famous “salaries” of bloggers on YouTube. A few years ago, Felix Celberg was very popular on the net, earning more than $7 million a year on his let’s plays. Incidentally, the “let’s play” format is another form of gaming streaming: it is a recording of the playthroughs with commentary by the author.
The recipe for a novice streamer player is approximately the following: get powerful enough hardware (along with wasting resources on the game, some power must support broadcasting in good quality), understand the software for streaming (simple Xsplit Broadcaster or more serious Open Broadcaster Software (OBS)) and create an account on Twitсh or channel on YouTube. As the channel becomes popular, you can begin to monetize it. The process is similar to commercializing a blogging channel: gain subscribers, actively broadcast, find advertisers. And then, optionally, set up a paid subscription or donation system.
Of course, this is a general principle, and there are different ways of “going streaming.” Gamers broadcast to other platforms, choose from various streaming formats, and even hardware is sometimes treated “disparagingly”: some manage to stream from an ordinary non-gaming laptop. Incidentally, all consoles of the latest generation have long since become discrete streaming tools: although this too can and should be improved. Anyway, we should note a few gadgets designed to turn a novice streamer into a professional.
Streaming Devices
Apart from a computer or gaming console, a microphone is the first essential tool for any streamer. So, if you can do without a camera and combine only video passing the game and comments without a microphone, broadcasting becomes a dry, uninteresting picture.
The use of dynamic microphones embedded in a laptop or headset is best left for telephone conversations. After all, voice is what makes a streamer a streamer, and sooner or later, there will be a need to purchase a serious, dedicated device.
Arozzi Colonna is an excellent example of a Streamer/Blogger microphone from a Swedish gaming brand. Already the appearance of the microphone makes it clear that we are not playing games here (although not without that) but doing almost professional radio broadcasting.
The Colonna is a sizable stationary microphone with a cylindrical shape and a “studio” form factor. The broad, round base combined with a mounting system ensures stability, and the condenser capsule provides the quality voice. For those in the tank, condenser microphones are preferable to dynamic microphones in-home and studio environments (as opposed to performing in concerts, for example) because they provide a more detailed and clear sound transmission. For the same reason, headphones should always be used with such a microphone: the sound from the speakers will “wind up” the device.
Today’s cameras are usually taken care of by themselves (top-of-the-range smartphones do a fine job with this function), but I will say a few words about a more specialized tool. If you’re planning to combine the recording of a walkthrough with a video of yourself, you can’t do without the chroma key. Chroma key is a green background, with which you can get rid of the experience in real-time (or on the recording), replacing it with anything interesting. It is the chroma key used in film special effects, and for a blogger or streamer, it gives just as much creativity.
The Green Screen model from Elgato is an exciting alternative to bulky chroma key covers.
It features a folding, compact design: the chromakey unfolds and takes just a few seconds to get to the correct size: so it’s not only interesting for home streamers but also for those who like to broadcast from wherever they are. The background is deep green, and the maximum size of the cloth is 148 x 180 cm. The material is also good: supple and dense polyester. In short, a tremendous portable chroma key that will last for many years.
The future is in it
Despite the insane popularity of streaming, many users have a vague idea of it: that’s why we prepared this material. That said, the streaming phenomenon has long outgrown any descriptive framework: so we’ll be devoting further attention to the subject. Why do we need it? Because the phenomenon of streaming is undoubtedly a whole layer of our future.
Like many analysts, we’re convinced that the next step is to “twin” streaming with virtual reality technologies, which, as you know, are now developing at an unprecedented rate. What would come out of such a tandem, the readers should imagine for themselves.
