Twitch gameplay. How does streaming affect the video game industry?

Twitch is a global streaming platform that allows users to live stream and watch content mainly related to video games, but Too covering other categories such as music, sports or culture. Platform withwas founded in 2011 and quickly became the leading destination for gamers, streamers, and viewers from around the world. Users can stream their own content live, communicate via chat, subscribe to streamers' channels, and use a variety of social features. Twitch also offers monetization opportunities for streamers through subscriptions, donations and an affiliate program. The platform has gained enormous popularity, attracting both video game enthusiasts and content creators from other fields.

According to seegame, every second respondent admits that they use Twitch regularly – 63%. users at least once a week (37 percent less often), with the average time spent on the platform being 2 hours. – The presence of users on the platform and the nature of their stay there – and they are mainly looking for entertainment – make the website a very valuable place in the context of advertising. Moreover, as many as 76 percent communities are people aged 18-44, i.e. a group highly engaged in online content, and additionally three out of four respondents have their own income (72%), which makes them attractive consumers – comments Katarzyna Knecht, Sales Director and Product Owner at seegame.

The future of Twitch in Poland and trends

Tomasz Stankiewicz: What are your favorite game genres on Twitch? Are there any new gaming trends that you have noticed that particularly attract attention?

Katarzyna Knecht: Each of the genres and styles that Twitch offers has its own audience. There are many categories, each of them has its own audience, which in turn indicates the diverse interests of the community. Certainly, the ones that stand out from other games include role-playing games (RPG), action/shooters (Fortnite, Counterstrike, Call of Duty), adventure games (GTA5), sports games (FC24), sandbox games and MOBA games, i.e. Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (League). of Legends, Dota2). A trend that we observe, but which is fading somewhat, is the popularity of service games (e.g. Fortnite), where the game is constantly being developed with new content.

If we are talking about specific streams – our this year's study “How to reach the community on a stream with advertising. The Twitch user survey showed that the most popular games are The Witcher 3 (interesting to 23 percent of the community), GTA5 (22 percent), Fifa 23 (19 percent), Minecraft (18 percent) and League of Legends (17 percent). .). These games have their own permanent fan base, so the classics continue to dominate and attract viewers even years after their premiere.

Have you noticed any changes in the Twitch community over the last year?

We haven't noticed any major changes when it comes to the community. However, the study confirmed that every second respondent regularly uses Twitch. We can therefore say that the platform maintains its loyal audience.

Do you see any potential challenges with using the Twitch platform?

For us, as a platform offering extensive advertising options, the most important issue is the user's profile, and the one on Twitch is not well known because the platform does not share information about viewers. Of course, if brands want to promote their products or services, they can direct them to selected groups, knowing what topics the viewers are focused on. Each game, or more broadly, genre, has its own specific group of fans. However, a detailed user profile is a mystery, so we decided to check what the Polish Twitch community is like. This knowledge will undoubtedly help connect the streamer community with advertisers interested in gaming and lifestyle content.

What types of content or features could attract new users to the Twitch platform? Are there any topic areas that are missing from the platform?

In the context of streams and content available on Twitch, the platform offers rich and diverse topics. Starting from the most popular games (indicated by every third respondent), through sports, politics and technology, to entertainment, history and content related to travel and health. As for categories, “Just Chatting” enjoyed unflagging popularity last year. Today, it is the leading section for lifestyle content, a space for conversations where streamers share their thoughts with the audience. Last year, Twitch users spent as many as 68 million hours watching channels on this topic¹.

However, I see potential for development, e.g. in the area of ​​broadcasting sports events Live. Constant emissions could ensure a successive influx of new users to the platform. Similarly, there is great potential in the context of new functions – greater interactivity would give some control to viewers and allow them to have a real influence on what is happening on the stream. However, I am not worried about these aspects – Twitch listens to its community. Behind the scenes it is said that, for example, GTA VI will include a native platform for role-playing. This shows the true power of the Twitch audience, which has been demanding such facilities from developers for years.

What are your thoughts on the interaction between the Twitch community and streamers? Do you think these relationships influence the way users experience advertising or promotions?

Although there is a large diversity of preferences among the surveyed people when it comes to their favorite streamers, it can be said that there are already a lot of creators who are a brand in themselves – Young Multi (watched by 11% of viewers) and Xayoo (9%) are popular among the respondents. the most popular.

Certainly, the content broadcast next to a given streamer's materials is noticed by his fans, and if we like someone, we are more likely to buy the products he recommends or check out the new products he recommends. The study showed that every fifth respondent made purchases based on the streamer's recommendations, and discounts and unique discount codes attract the attention of a large audience, especially women, and motivate them to watch ads on Twitch.

It is worth noting that in the advertising context, the topic of the message and the attractiveness of the offer and product are the main elements that respondents pay attention to (23%). Next are visual issues, such as animation, graphics and colors (12%). The best results are achieved by advertising creations dedicated to the platform. They should refer to the world of games, harmonizing with the main theme of Twitch and a specific stream. In our report, users point out that the attractiveness of the offer and the advertised product are also important.

Are there any specific brands or products that you have noticed advertised on Twitch that have attracted attention?

Music, sports and travel are undoubtedly the most popular categories on Twitch. It is also worth mentioning fashion, which also plays an important role among the platform's community – 37 percent are interested in it. subjects. The choice of specific clothing brands reflects the tendency of users to look for specific features, such as pricing policy or product quality. The study showed that in the context of shopping preferences, H&M is the most popular among clothing stores (every third respondent shops there). Brands from the fashion sector can therefore use this data, for example, to cooperate with influencers and streamers.

Could you imagine Twitch expanding its offering to include other services or features? What could these services be and why?

In addition to the already mentioned interactivity, which would certainly increase users' influence on what is happening in the game on stream, I think that there is great potential in AI. AI-powered tools could help automatically tag content, generate suggestions for the best moments to share on social media, and even optimize titles and descriptions of live streams to attract more viewers.

There could also be potential for real-time translation of streams, so that everyone can access the content regardless of language knowledge.

Solutions that take care of mental well-being would also be useful – introducing tools and resources to support this aspect among both users and streamers. I think, among other things, about screen time monitoring, break reminders, and access to professional consultations and support. Twitch could also expand its activities to include education, offering courses or workshops conducted by experts in various fields. The platform could enable creators to create educational content and monetize their offer more easily, and users could have access to certificates confirming their acquired knowledge.