The Mutually Beneficial Relationship Between Game Developers and Social Media Influencers
In recent years, an unexpected relationship has formed between game developers and social media influencers. While YouTube channels with a focus on gaming provide a great way to discover new video games, AAA titles dominate the public consciousness so smaller franchises and indie games get lost in the shuffle. This is a shame because we are in a golden age of indie games which allows so many opportunities for experimental and innovative experiences. With a mutually beneficial partnership, Twitch and YouTube streamers can provide a much-needed service that allows gamers to sort through and discover the true gems. Curating the games they stream will also support the indie game industry by providing much needed promotion.
In a recent tweet, the indie developers at Over the Moon Games asked their social media followers which YouTubers and Twitch streamers are worth reaching out to for a play-through stream of their newly released game The Fall 2: Unbound. It’s becoming increasingly common for game developers to rely on “social media influencers” to get their games noticed. It’s pretty incredible to witness how intertwined the two industries have become. While one would assume game developers would be concerned that having potential consumers watch their game being played would spoil their content, the opposite appears to be true. With the number of developers actively seeking out well-known gamers to stream their games, it’s apparent that most of the developers see this as a valuable opportunity to get their product noticed. In a blog post by David Rosen, founder of Wolfire Games, he illustrates the value of exposure through YouTube content by presenting a graph of pre-orders for Overgrowth before and after NerdCubed, a popular Youtube Gamer, posted a Let’s Play video of the game. The graph showed a massive spike the day the video was uploaded and a subsequent significant increase in sales. Even Valve, the company behind hugely successful franchises such as Portal and Half-Life has a policy which allows players to not only record and upload their game content but even monetize such videos through the YouTube partner program.
However, this relationship between influencers and developers can be quite complex and difficult to use to a small studio’s advantage. I recently saw a post on Facebook by an indie game developer friend of mine, in which he applauded YouTubers who take a chance by posting play-throughs of indie games. YouTubers and Twitch Streamers are, from a business perspective, rewarded for creating content that generates more views. The easiest way for them to do that is by playing AAA games, ones that already come with a massive following and are sure to draw attention. Play-throughs of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, for example, have generated 11 million views for Pewdiepie and 6.4 million for Markiplier, two of the most popular gaming channels on YouTube. For that reason, it is difficult to incentivize the influencers to dedicate their time to lesser known games.
So how can indie developers and social media influencers create a mutually beneficial relationship? Well, essentially it comes down to content.
Humor
Often in games and the accompanying stream, the punchline is in the player’s reaction. Since people behave unpredictably, watching another person react to a game’s humor is more likely to make the viewer test their own nerve by playing the game themselves. The Stanley Parable is an excellent example of this, given it’s incredibly abundant and varied humor. I couldn’t wait to pick up the game after watching several influencers enjoy the unique content.
Also included in this category are games that feature horror and jump scares which, surprisingly, tend to generate popular and highly amusing content, particularly when said content involves grown men and high pitched screams. Games like Five Nights at Freddy’s which have been played by some of the biggest names among YouTube gamers, including Pewdiepie and Markiplier, gain a significant portion of their popularity through that medium.
Skill
Skill-based games provide an opportunity for the player to develop or demonstrate their prowess. They’re engaging in that the possibility of success or failure rest on the player, making the viewer more invested. They also draw viewers who enjoy comparing their own skill or applying the strategies and methods they pick up by watching videos to their own gaming experience. A notable example would be 7 Days to Die, a game which inspired numerous video guides for beginners as well as experienced gamers, cultivating an expanding online community. The videos draw not only “passive” viewers but also engages viewers by allowing them to share “pro tips” and ask for advice in the comments section. Such videos also serve as a great opportunity for people to show off.
Story
There’s nothing more engaging than a good story. This is especially true of games with hard-hitting emotional moments or controversial choices for the player to make. There is a concern with story-based games that watching them will spoil the plot for the viewer and make them less inclined to play the game themselves. While it is a risk, I usually find that because different people will react to the narrative in different ways, watching someone else’s reaction doesn’t take away from the experience of enjoying the game first hand. In fact, it adds a layer to the experience that is similar to watching your best friend enjoy your favorite movie for the first time. You are just as engaged with your friend’s reaction as you are with the on-screen content.
Games with branching story-lines that allow for exploration through choice also benefit from a stream because it allows the viewer to experience choices that they would not make during their own play-through. The Stanley Parable is an excellent example of when I watched outcomes that I would never have on my own. One of my greatest YouTube discoveries, and one of my favorite games to this day, was Over the Moon’s The Fall, which I bought immediately after watching a play-through. Personally, watching such play-throughs often makes me eager to take the gift of agency within the narrative for myself. Such is the beauty of an interactive medium.
The Kindness of Their Hearts
It’s not unfair to appeal to pathos. Most online content creators know what it’s like to fight their way towards establishing a following. A lot of YouTubers make a point of showcasing indie games and developers through both reviews and “let’s plays.” It’s their way of supporting projects that they personally believe in. Using their following to promote worthy projects is a great way to draw attention to Patreon and GoFundMe pages that many indie developers have grown reliant upon.
Now, of course, this doesn’t mean that developers should be building their games to fit the box of what is appealing to YouTubers and Twitch Streamers. After all, it is the spirit of unshackled creative freedom, rightfully associated with the indie game boom, which makes it such an incredible movement. Instead, it may serve developers to highlight the strengths that already exist in their creations and promote those strengths to influencers explaining why it helps in the creation of entertaining video content.
Taking advantage of the mutually beneficial relationship between developers and social media influencers will inevitably lead to a desirable growth in both industries. The two have become increasingly interdependent in recent years and benefit each other in ways that are invaluable. YouTubers rely on game developers and their support in posting their game content to generate more views which, in turn, provides a great opportunity for game developers to get their games noticed. This relationship should not only be accepted but rather encouraged and celebrated.
Ronnie Cohen is a creative writer with works published in various platforms including the Underground Literary Magazine and collegemagazine.com. As an English Honors student at UCLA, she is currently conducting research on video game narratives and takes a special interest in interactive storytelling.
