Video games have grown in popularity over the past couple of years. The rise of video games popularity inspired the idea of streaming. Streaming the activity in which a video game player live streams the game he or she are playing, for all to see. This may not seem like an enticing event to watch; however, recent studies have shown otherwise. The rise of streaming websites like Twitch and Mixer created a huge cultural development of watching others play video games. 

The viewing of streamed video games has increased over the past couple of years. When streaming first started it was very hard to gain a following. People did not seem very interested in watching others play video games. Many questioned why people would watch someone else play a game, when they could just play themselves. The development of the first major streaming platform, Twitch, answered this question perfectly. 

The first major streaming platform to be developed was the creation of Twitch, back in 2011. Twitch is a website on on which all categories of games are played and viewers can watch their favorite streamers for free. The development of Twitch allowed for viewers all around the world to watch any game they wanted. Twitch enticed viewers to come watch players play at a high level of competition. Instead of casually playing a video game at home, viewers now had the option to watch professionals play with the best of the best. If viewers didn’t want to watch competitive play, they also had the opportunity of watching a “content creator.” Content creators are people who stream and play games for fun. They are normally amusing people who make the game enjoyable to watch due to their commentary. Content creators drew in a new type of audience for Twitch since people could now watch pros and average joes. This not only increased Twitch’s popularity, but it also inspired others to begin streaming themselves. Many viewed the content creators as equivalent to themselves, so they decided it was worth a shot to try streaming.

The first game to majorly impact Twitch was Dota 2. Dota 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena game. Dota 2 was the most watched game by far for the first 5 years of Twitch. However, in 2017 a battlegrounds multiplayer game called PUBG gained popularity and took over the streaming platform. For the first time in video game streaming history, millions of viewers began watching streams. PUBG gained massive popularity as famous streamers such as Shroud and Dr. Disrespect took over the market. Their mix of content along with skill enticed viewers to watch them daily. The streaming of video games was now a viable job instead of a hobby. Due to the massive growth of the platform, people have begun to make real money off of their passion for playing video games. 

As PUBG gained popularity they began to host tournaments. The best players from all around the world joined these tournaments, and they were streamed everywhere. Viewers could tune in to watch their favorite content creators battle it out for thousands of dollars. PUBG is a battle royale game which made tournament play fairly easy. Teams would drop in all together and fight one another till the last man was standing. With simple concepts like this that were easy to follow, viewers were immediately hooked. The mix of high intensity with the potential for large cash prizes made these competitive tournaments a must watch event. Video games which had once been looked down upon as a waste of time, were now captivating millions of people as the best of the best tried to create names for themselves.