Game streams and let’s play: Perspectives of a sociological analysis

Abstract

The article provides an overview of research devoted to the popular practice of watching game streams and let’s play. The goal is to outline the “points of growth” for sociological analytics of the new field. Streams and let’s play videos are divided according to the criterion of online and offline communication: streams are created and shown synchronously online, and let’s play videos are recorded and edited offline. Today, both of these kinds of videos are integrated into the computer game industry, and the emergence of comments for the public date back to television shows. Based on the research results, it is possible to speak about the social structure of streams and let’s play videos — the leading role of the gamer or commentator and the community that is developing around his channel. Although the text of a computer game is the basis for comments, it still does not cover the entire topic of communication between a streamer/let’s play creator and the audience. Analysts think that computer game commenting is a form of resistance to the direct consumption of a computer game. The comment content often reflects not only the gaming experience, but the current agenda — politics, economics, and popular culture. Thus, the most popular streamers/let’s play creators become opinion leaders, their status is similar to that of other media celebrities who are at the center of a parasocial relationship. Viewers of game streams/let’s play videos form online communities with common interests, skills, and knowledge. Immersion in one information environment, understanding of its language and other symbols strengthens the feeling of belonging to a group of “friends”. The author’s contribution consists in the systematization of the research experience on the problems of social aspects of commenting on computer games and in substantiating the sociological approach to this practice as a space for the life of new teams.