Game Streaming: All you wanted to know and were afraid to ask

What is game-streaming?

Simply put, a game streamer broadcasts himself/herself playing a game for a live audience. That might sound like the easiest job in the world, but there’s much more to it. Streamers have to know how to hold the audience’s attention over a long period. Like commentating on a live cricket match, a multi-hour stream demands discipline and pacing from the streamer. The difference is that the streamer is playing the game at all times, unlike the cricket commentator, who also gets relieved by other commentators frequently.

Globally, the outbreak of the Covid-19 saw a massive spike in gaming as people were forced to remain indoors. Streaming platforms also took off as people cooped up at home sought an escape by watching gamers take on each other.

As a consequence, live streaming of games exploded worldwide, particularly in India. Last year alone, Indians accounted for a sizeable chunk of the audience that tuned in to watch their favourite streamers play across the world.

Streaming is no longer a hobby, or something to do on the side, it has legitimately become a way to earn revenue.

In India, PUBG Mobile and PUBG: Battlegrounds are, unsurprisingly, the hot favourites, with Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption 2, Garena Free Fire, Valorant and Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) following.

Naturally a good game is only a small part of what it takes to keep viewers interested through a long stream. Another thing to consider is the game platform you stream on: do you go with YouTube or Twitch, two established names and the strongest platforms for game streaming globally? Or do you go to the new kid on the block, Facebook Gaming?

YouTube Gaming has become popular among the youth in India. Twitch, on the other hand, remains the weathered old veteran, ramping up to nearly 140 million active users in 2021. Meanwhile Meta’s Facebook Gaming, which was launched in 2018, has seen its viewership grow 530 percent in India over the last year because of the pandemic, with more than 234 million gaming sessions recorded in the last few months.

Preparing for a streaming session

Whether it’s on Facebook Gaming, YouTube or Twitch, there is a lot that goes into a game-streaming session. Equipment, the choice of game, even the platform are all important but not as important as the mental preparations for a good stream.

A good stream is like telling a story while hanging out with friends, setting up a great tale that ebbs and flows with the mood of the chat room. It is important to know what your strengths are because your weaknesses won’t be easy to hide when the stream goes live.

So, what goes into the making of a game stream? Moneycontrol tried to find out by talking to popular Facebook Gaming streamers Akash Chauhan aka GameGuru, Bodhisatta Banerjee aka Bagha, Aparna Shukla aka ROG Stream, Chamkaur Singh of the father-son team PunjabiGamer63, Husband and wife streaming duo Gagan and Aparna aka Mr&MrsOp, and Kangkana Talukdar aka Mystic Ignite.

To begin with, creators have to prepare mentally, be smart in the way they present themselves and confident in how their content will be received by the audience.

Mystic Ignite aka Kangkana Talukdar

“I have to get ready, look presentable and need to be prepared mentally and full of energy because that’s how I deliver the best stream to my viewers,” says Talukdar.

Banerjee says that “preparation is mainly psychological”. He remains focused on what the audience finds entertaining and tries not to get side-tracked by the negative comments that will invariably pop-up. “There are times when I receive negative comments in streams, which can be demotivating. However, I am here for the long run and no single person or word can stop me. Hence, I do not take these comments personally,” says Banerjee.

Some streamers prefer to practice, going over beats they have to hit during the stream, so they can pull them off better on air. “I prepare some shoutouts and logos if needed for the stream and dedicate an hour of practice before the stream takes place,” says Shukla.

Mr&MrsOp like to plan out special streams beforehand but forego any preparations for a regular stream day, preferring to stay in the moment and interact with viewers. “For our regular streams we try and make it as entertaining as possible by just ensuring that we as streamers are on the same page and direction,” says Aparna.

Akash Chauhan aka GameGuru

Sometimes this means cutting yourself off from the world before the stream begins, making sure you are in the right frame of mind for a good stream session. “I always ensure that my mood is light and I am happy. I try to stay away from negative people and negativity because the most important thing for me is the entertainment of my viewers,” remarks Chauhan.

Is it easy to jump into game streaming?

Deciding to host a stream is one thing but going through with it is another thing entirely. You have to weather the early jitters and prepare to be in it for the long run. “It was difficult in the initial years but it became quite easy with time,” says Shukla.

Aparna Shukla aka ROG Stream

Chauhan says it’s a tricky question as it’s a tough job, one that depends entirely on communication skills. He says that streaming is 90 percent interaction while 10 percent is the actual game being played.

“If you are good with interacting, you will not face many difficulties in streaming,” he adds.

In Banerjee’s case, game streaming was a way to overcome a tough loss. “Venturing into streaming was difficult for me. I started streaming to deal with the loss of my father and my resignation from work,” he says. Streaming helped him connect with people and took his mind off the difficulties he was going through. Slowly, it became routine and eventually, his full-time job.

Bodhisatta Banerjee aka Bagha

“Streaming sounds easy and fun but it’s not that easy,” says Singh. For one thing, it requires a solid grasp of the technicalities. The cost of the equipment required to stream can also be exorbitant. Ultimately, it comes down to commitment and resolve to see the initial phase through.

“There were a few downs in the beginning, but as we progressed, the journey became better as it gave us a few ups, which motivated us to keep going further,” says Gagan.

Tips for beginners

Like any profession, experience matters. And like any profession, you won’t have any when you first start streaming. There will be rough waters to navigate but with some tips, you will at least go in the right direction.

“Try to gather knowledge as much as you can, and don’t hesitate to be yourself and express yourself and interact with viewers,” says Talukdar.

Chamkaur Singh and Karanveer Singh aka PunjabiGamer63

“I feel one should start with a minimum budget and maximum effort. For instance, making videos and uploading them from your phone is a budget-friendly option to reach out to the public and check out their response,” adds Singh.

One way to mitigate the cost of equipment in the short term is to buy things on priority, slowly investing more over time. “The hard part about streaming is having the equipment as it is expensive,” says Talukdar. “I’m still buying things, and of course, you will need good internet and eventually, you’ll learn things as you keep streaming.”

Gagan and Aparna aka MrandMrsOp

The quality of the content should be a priority, says Aparna, and everything else will eventually fall into place. “You should be consistent in your performance, and maintain the proper bond between yourself and your viewers,” she adds.

Keep an open mind and be ready to learn from the best in the business, picking up on small things as you watch their streams, advises Chauhan. “If you like what you see in the streams of these big streamers, then you can try to inculcate them in your stream as well, but do observe if your viewers are liking this or not.”

Another important lesson is to maintain a healthy attitude, no matter how dire things seem. How a player speaks and interacts with the audience changes with his/her mood, so it’s critical to remain on an even keel.

“The only thing I would tell upcoming gamers is not to lose patience and keep up their spirits while doing their daily streams. It will pay off in the long run, as it did in my case,” says Shukla.

You can check out Chauhan's page here, Mr&MrsOp stream here, Bagha lives here, drop in on Shukla's sessions here, catch Talukdar here and finally, here is where you can watch PunjabiGamer63.