In an era of where the conversation about gaming is mostly happening in video, live streaming, podcasting, and social media, the practice of writing about video games is in a weird spot. Though there are no shortage of writers and there will always be an audience seeking gaming-related content in this format, it feels like this medium has shrunk into a niche-of-a-niche. The shift appears so dramatic that the ceiling for success seems much lower as a writer than seemingly any other form of content creator.
With the way things are, it’s impossible for a video game writer to build the audience, revenue, or notoriety approaching anything near Ninja’s level. I love Giant Bomb and Kinda Funny – most of whom started out as writers – but the majority of their success comes from podcasts, videos, and live streams. There are Instagram accounts that have generated six-figure audiences by only posting Fortnite memes. I can see even this reality in my own work, as my tiny Twitch channel generates more money than my blog on a monthly basis with just a fraction of the traffic.
The reality is that creators and their audiences generally prefer to consume their gaming content in those other formats. With the inherent barriers that come with reading and writing versus watching and listening, I feel like writing is always going to get the short end of the stick.
Having said all that, where does that put me, as someone whose been writing for a decade?
When Tetris 99 introduced Invictus Mode, I switched to playing that mode exclusively. Part of it stemmed from believing that I have the skills to compete at that level. Wins are sparse, but I’ve won enough Invictus matches to feel like this is the right mode for me.
Beyond that, I also chose to play Invictus matches as a means of attracting viewers to the stream. Skill can play a major factor when it comes to drawing an audience, and I felt like I had to play at Invictus-level difficulty in order to stand a chance against other streamers in the directory. Even though the focus of my show isn’t so much about competitive play, I figured that players streaming classic Tetris 99 would get left behind.
Skill still goes a long way, but the factors that determine viewership are more complicated than that.
Our first look at the Xbox Series X, an assortment of new game reveals, and dope music underscore our Game Awards watch party! It may not have been the most appealing show for us, but we had a great time hanging out with each other and adding our own commentary!
Unfortunately, I won’t have the time to cut highlights out of this broadcast. Instead, I hope you watch the whole thing from front-to-back! 😉 Ok, onto the shoutouts!
I’m growing out of my Blue Snowball Ice. As an entry-level solution that provides decent sound and ease of use at a budget price, it’s a fantastic choice. By leveraging the built-in compressors, noise gates, and noise filters in OBS, I was able to address some of the mic’s issues while also improving its sound quality.
Even so, I’m at a point in my streaming career where I want a mic that sounds even better. However, I’m at a crossroads. Do I get a better USB mic? Or do I transition into an XLR setup?
Gaming’s most prestigious awards show airs tonight and you can watch it with me! Let’s hang out @ twitch.tv/inthirdperson starting at 8pm EST and get hype over the big reveals, live performances, and award winners. Of course you can watch it here too, but I’d love to hear from you in the chat. Either way, fingers crossed that we have a great celebration of gaming ahead!
Streaming equipment can be addictive. As soon as you get one piece, the desire to get more and better stuff doesn’t stop gnawing at your consciousness. Around this time of year, there’s a glimmer of hope that Saint Nick has also binged on the same Alpha Gaming videos you watched and is ready to trick out your streaming setup with everything you’ve been longing for.
Or, you could just write it out in a list for him like this!
‘Tis the season to deck the halls! After failing to do anything festive for Halloween, my wife volunteered to give the game room a holiday makeover. Here are the results!
Black Friday is a wonderful time to buy streaming equipment as a gift for the streamer in your life. As part of this year’s festivities, Elgato has a number of its products on sale. They are my go-to company for streaming equipment and I may have to pick up an item or two for myself.
I love my Logitech C920. Considered by many to be the go-to webcam for entry-level streamers, it delivers a lot of bang for your buck. However, its limitations became more obvious with time and knowledge. The camera needs a lot of light in order to squeeze out the most optimal image. Even with my studio lights, the picture still comes out a bit grainy when using my full-screen intermission scene on stream. The camera caps out at 1080p 30fps, which may be a hinderance for streamers or video creators in need of more visual fidelity. Also, when compared to higher-end DSLR cameras, the difference in quality is undeniable.
As much as I would love to upgrade to a DSLR setup, it’s quite the expensive path almost any way you slice it. Between the DSLR camera itself, an Elgato Cam Link or an equivalent signal adapter, a wall adapter for the camera, and a tripod or other mounting solution, the cost is orders of magnitude above any webcam. Add in additional lenses, and the sticker shock stings even more. Despite my desire to improve my image quality, I can’t justify spending upwards of $1,000 on a complete DSLR rig at this point in my streaming career.
By happenstance, I got the opportunity to test out the Logitech BRIO 4K Webcam. It became immediately apparent that this is the middle step I’ve been looking for.
The BRIO is Logitech’s most premium webcam to-date. At its ceiling, it can capture footage at a 4K resolution and at 30 frames per second. It can also do 1080p at 60 fps; something that the C920 is incapable of doing. Housed in a casing that’s a bit larger than a C920, it can still clip comfortably on most monitors. This one also features a detachable USB 3.0 cable, making it a bit easier to move or stow away.
At more than double the price, it’s almost a given that the BRIO would be better than a C920. But how much better? I put the two cameras to the test.
The first test I did was a direct side-by-side comparison. Both cameras are in 1080p, using default settings, and with the same lighting. Immediately, the difference is staggering. My C920 looks washed out, while the BRIO provides colour that is more vibrant and accurate.
After that, I did a test of the two cameras at full-width, flipping between the two. Again, the C920 looks incredibly washed out compared to the BRIO. Also, you can see more of the details in view, such as the details in my face and how I’m using black duct tape to hold my busted headset together. In retrospect, you could always see the tape, but it’s even more apparent with the BRIO. Note to self: get new headphones.
One more test between the two cameras. This time, it’s in my 720p streaming layout with all of the same colour correction settings. There were no noticeable differences in CPU performance, and the BRIO is still a cut above. However, the colour correction settings I use for the C920 make the BRIO look a bit more yellow than I would like. Nothing that I couldn’t adjust for next time.
The Logitech BRIO is a cut above the C920 and could very well could be the best webcam on the market. I love the way it outputs video while also supporting 1080p 60 fps. It’s going to look great on my stream and even better if/when I finally get around to creating original content for YouTube. Right after the testing was over, I purchased one for myself.
Even though I jumped at the first opportunity to grab this camera, the BRIO won’t be for everyone. For those just starting out, the Logitech C920 is still the best place to start. The image quality is good enough with some colour correction and it won’t hurt your bank account too much if fall out of streaming. If you’ve got the funds and the reasoning to justify a full DSLR rig, the BRIO can’t match that in terms of image quality or flexibility. But if you need a middle step with improved image quality without the hefty expenses of a high-end camera rig, the BRIO is a great option.
Developing my streaming process has been…a process. For a long time, I failed to see the forest through the trees. Trying to squeeze the most performance out of my underpowered hardware, I spent too much time figuring out how to present a technically-competent stream and not enough time thinking about everything else that goes into it. Didn’t have a plan to promote my stream. Didn’t think about what type of content I wanted to create once I got things working. Didn’t even think about why I was doing this in the first place beyond seeing whether I could do it at all.
My aimlessness came back to haunt me when I came up just short of reaching Twitch Affiliate status. Even though it wasn’t a goal I was actively targeting, missing the mark forced me to really think about what I wanted and the steps required to get there. Streaming is still a struggle, but having a better handle on my goals has really helped me define my approach to this demanding hobby.
As of now, this is the process I go through to make each stream happen.
In Third Person 