TheRadBrad, PewDiePie, Ninja, and Pokimane. Whether or not you watch their channels, you’ve probably at least heard about one of these gaming streamers. YouTube and Twitch alike can provide hours of entertainment in the form of a video game “Let’s Play”, a live or pre-recorded session of someone playing through a video game. A 2018 study found that 48% of YouTube viewers spent more time watching video games than playing them, and the site itself tracked over 50 billion hours of gaming content watched over the year. The live streaming service “Twitch” logged 9 billion hours watched on their website (Polygon.com). 

“Cool, but, why would I want to watch someone else play a video game?”

Great question! 

Some gamers will watch a Let’s Play of a game they have already played through. This allows them to watch someone else enjoy a game that they know is fun. Doug McGarvey, a commenter on Quora, explains that watching a Let’s Play is like experiencing the game for the first time through the streamer’s reaction (Quora.com). Being able to relive your first play-through of a game you love is like being able to read your favorite book or watch your favorite movie for the first time because to the new viewer, everything is a surprise. 

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense, but what if it’s a game even I haven’t played yet? Shouldn’t my first experience be playing it myself?”

Another great point!

While getting to play a game for the first time is a lot of fun, it might not be a lucrative option for some gamers. With inflation on the rise, video games are becoming less and less affordable and for some players, like a deleted user on the r/Gaming4Gamers Reddit thread, some games “have typical gameplay that I’m all too familiar with and already have enough of in my collection of games.” (reddit.com) So spending the money on a slightly different version of the same open-world quest-based game or first-person shooter isn’t really worth it. However, watching someone else play for free allows interested gamers to experience the gameplay and storyline without needing to crack open their wallet. Plus, popular YouTube and Twitch streamers earn money based on how many views their video gets, so spending your time watching their content not only saves you money but pays their bills in return! It’s a win-win!

“Alright, so I can help streamers earn money while also enjoying the game for myself, but what if I already own the game? Why wouldn’t I just play it instead?”

You should play it!

Another benefit to watching streamers play games is being able to learn from their experiences. This is especially applicable to games that require strategy or puzzle-solving. In games like Valorant, players need to be skilled in first-person shooters and able to use their character’s special abilities in order to slow, harm, blind, or disorient their opponent. There are some strategy plays that are made for specific maps and are foolproof for getting the desired effect on your enemy. These plays can be discovered on one’s own, but if you have the ability to learn from a streamer’s video, why not use it? 

Puzzle games like Portal could stump you on particularly difficult levels, however, there are streamers out there that have put literal days into making a video explaining exactly how to get past a level you thought was impossible. It’s not cheating, you just needed a little extra help! 

If you keep yourself from watching gaming streams just because you think video games should be played rather than watched, you’re keeping yourself from an entire world of entertainment that can not only open doors to new experiences but could also broaden your knowledge of the gaming world as we know it.