“But Jett, didn’t you literally just get a new PC and gaming chair?”
Yes. So far, I’m loving both! But there’s always work to be done. Here are a few more items on my list to pick up!
video games
Twitch and the Danger of Quantifying One’s Value
Almost every aspect of the Twitch experience is driven by quantifiable and publicly-facing values. We know how many people are watching any channel at any given time. We know follower counts. We know which streamers are Twitch Partners because of the checkmark beside their names. If you dig just a bit deeper, you can find pretty much every performance metric for any channel, right down to the breakdown of how many paid subs it receives each month.
The Twitch and broader live streaming community at-large embrace these types of quantifiable systems. Streamers flash on-screen notifications every time someone follows or subscribes to their channel. Viewers flaunt their streamer-exclusive emotes on other channels. Even outside of Twitch, many streamers proudly declare that they are Twitch Affiliates or Twitch Partners in their social media bios.
All of this is in service of creating an ecosystem where viewers and streamers become emotionally and financially invested in the platform. In large part, it works as Amazon intended. They make money hand-over-fist by displaying ads and by taking their cut of Bits and Subs. Meanwhile, many of its audience “bleed purple” to the point where most chose to stay on Twitch even when its top creator left for Mixer.
These systems can tell us a lot about the performance of a channel. However, there’s a ton of danger when we apply these channel-specific values to ourselves. It creates a lot of friction on Twitch in very overt and subversive ways that can be incredibly draining on one’s mental health.
Some of My Favourite Silent Cards in Slay the Spire
After completing Slay the Spire with The Ironclad, I turned my attention to The Silent. While The Silent is capable of melting her foes, it’s going to take more setup on the player’s part to create those devastating combinations. Though I’ve gotten to the final battle a few times, the climb to the top has been much tougher for me with The Silent than The Ironclad.
Now that I’ve finally climbed to the top with The Silent, thought I’d share some of my favourite cards from her deck!
Making Beautiful Music – Stardew Valley Live Stream – Part 15
A chance encounter with Abigail in the woods has me reconsidering my Stardew Valley choices. We also discuss gender discrimination in video games, re-acclimating to life in this new world, and sharing some of my all-time favourite board games!
View the full post to see the full stream, highlights, and shoutouts!
Squad Battles! – Tetris 99 Live Stream
Squad goals! By happenstance, Team Jett takes on Team Underray in a Tetris 99 team battle! Between matches, we discuss revolutionary moments in gaming, streaming overlay design, and I share a peek at my new Nerf sniper rifle!
View the full post to see the full stream, highlights, and shoutouts!
Will Console Streaming Continue to Suck in the PlayStation 5/Xbox Series X Era?
The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were the first home consoles to feature the ability to stream directly from the console itself. Having that functionality is great, as it lowers the barrier dramatically for those interested in trying their hand at streaming. That being said, console streamers are at a distinct disadvantage from those who have their consoles connected through a PC.
With a PC, console streamers get access to all of the bells and whistles that viewers expect, from some semblance of an overlay, to on-screen notifications, to multiple scenes, When streaming from a console, you’re stuck with the limited options you have for microphones, cameras, and overlays. Microsoft got better as the generation went on, as they added support for different cameras and allowing for custom overlays through Lightstream Studio. However, that feature seems to have gone by the wayside as part of Mixer shutting down.
In particular, that PlayStation 4 streaming template can be a death sentence. I think when viewers see that default PS4 streaming overlay as they browse through Twitch, their first impression is that this is a “lesser” stream, even if you might be the most charismatic person in the universe.
Streaming from a console is totally fine for practice. But if you really want your channel to grow at this juncture, you’re in a much better position to do so by capturing your gameplay through a PC. Will this change as we transition into the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5?
What’s With All of the Streaming-Related Posts of Late?
In Third Person started with video games as its primary subject matter. However, it’s taken many subject matter detours over the years as my interests have evolved. There was a stretch of time where I wrote a lot about comic books. Board games were huge on the site for a while. I discovered over the years that it was more important for me to use this space to write about my interests – whatever they are – versus trying to box myself in. I’m not trying to make the next Kotaku, Gamespot, or IGN (though they all stray from gaming at times as well). For the sake of my happiness, I’d rather have the site evolve with me.
Most recently, streaming content has consumed the site to the point where it’s a daily conversation point. In case you haven’t been following my recent antics on Twitch, here’s the lowdown on why it’s having such a dramatic impact on my writing output.
Getting Lit at the Fair! – Stardew Valley Live Stream – Part 14
I take a bit of the Stardrop and…I can see sound now? As I continue to prepare for the winter, we discuss dream cars, prizes we’ve won at carnivals, the quarter-life crisis, and our hot takes on Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout!
View the full post to see the full stream, highlights, and shoutouts!
Aspects of Live Streaming on Twitch That I Love
I’ve engaged with streaming as a medium for quite a long time. Even before the existence of Twitch, I remember being glued to my computer when I stumbled on the Devastation 2009 Street Fighter IV tournament that was broadcast on Ustream.
Though I would become an avid viewer of fighting game tournaments from that point onward, I didn’t really immerse myself in the medium as a streamer or as an engaged viewer until 2018. During that time, my streaming efforts finally started to generate some momentum and I discovered how amazing it can be to watch and engage with streams as a viewer.
These days, I’m deep in the trenches. Singing or rapping my heart out at the start of every stream. Spamming emotes in a fellow streamer’s chat. Inviting streamer friends over for ice cream. Spending countless hours in front of the computer programming in new elements into my own show. It takes up more of my time than any other hobby.
Here are some reasons why I’ve become so enthralled with the medium!
Summer Games 2020! – Overwatch Live Stream w/ SwitchToDecaf and PlayerTwoStart
It’s summertime in Overwatch! Lucioball is back, along with its frenetic remix! Switch to Decaf and PlayerTwoStart hop on my back for more solo carry wins, but distance themselves as I manage to throw shade at people I really shouldn’t mess with! Also, Steff and I share a look at our Lego NES!
Click through for the full stream, highlights, and shoutouts!
In Third Person 