[jungler]

The money incentives have changed things too. People stream their gameplay for cash, and that has led to a rapid professionalization of gaming that wasn't there in the era of demo recordings and an occasional LAN event. It makes for more incentives to hide cheating or gatekeep your game sessions behind private Discords etc.

Since the rise of Minecraft the games themselves have also gradually shifted towards being long-term platforms for streamer content, vs simply providing a fixed experience. Free-to-play economics likewise aim towards maximizing total lifetime value of each user(with a built in expectation of user turnover) instead of marketing towards the initial purchase.

[jackfraser]

> People stream their gameplay for cash

This is still such a very strange thing for me. Truly one of the first things that has made me (as someone in my mid-30s) feel disconnected from the next generation.

Why would I want to watch someone else play video games? If I had the time to do that, why wouldn't I just play the games myself? Where's the joy in it? The commentary? If I wanted commentary to listen to, wouldn't it make more sense for it to be about something real?

I guess I'll just tie that onion onto my belt and call it a day.

[kls]

Same reason people watch sports. Many of the streamers are top of their game and people watch them to pick up tips and the learn new skill-sets in the gaming world. I am 44, I don't watch them but my boys do and I get it, where at first I had the same reaction. Which was basically why would you waist you time doing that.