Project Overview
This fall semester of 2020, I devised a project that would document my video gaming journey in virtual reality games, specifically World of Warcraft (WoW). This project would bring my favorite pastime of video gaming to the next level by developing and refining my Twitch stream, my gaming social media, and my identity as a gaming content creator.
PURPOSE: Develop my brand identity as a content creator, exercise digital marketing skills, and share my experiences with video gaming.
GOAL: Improve quality of my content, increase audience interaction, and gain experience in the video gaming industry.
PLAN OF ACTION:
- Create and maintain social media for my video game content — primary method: Instagram
- Post WoW achievements and screenshots to Instagram and interact with other WoW Instagram accounts
- Improve stream set up: new mic, new camera, new stream interface, add stream music, employ a chat moderator
- Develop a stream schedule (weekend mornings), promote those times on Instagram, announce when going live
- Interact with new friends!
SUCCESS MEASUREMENT: Level of success and efficacy measurable through view count, follower count, and most notably, audience interaction.
The major challenge faced was finding the time to stream regularly and finding the resources to invest into new streaming equipment like mic and camera.
Another challenge I didn't anticipate to meet so soon, with such a small stream following, are chat "trolls." Female streamers are often subjected to troll chat messages regarding appearance or unfounded criticism, but I was lucky to have an active chat moderator to ban these users.
The major successes of this project include:
- Increased interaction from followers and viewers
- Ability to stream more comfortably on camera
- Positive feedback on content posts and Twitch stream clips
I learned that audience interactivity increased more on Instagram than Twitch because I was able to keep my Instagram up to date easier than I was able to go live on stream. Twitch interactivity increased based upon how much time I spent streaming, the more often streaming, the more active of viewers, but due to the time demand, streaming long hours wasn't always a viable option for me.
The most fun part of this project was being able to share my experiences gaming with friends with new people, as my gaming friends really enjoyed being on camera and interacting with my stream. They are also a huge part of what makes my gaming sessions fun and entertaining. The Twitch stream clip below captures me and my friend juggling mounts midair:
Click here to view full clip.
Streaming also helps me document achievements like new boss kills, as seen in this clip.
My biggest takeaway is knowing I can have fun fully embracing my passion for video gaming and still be accepted by others of like mind.
I intend to keep documenting my gaming journey on Instagram and Twitch, with hope to increase my streaming hours over the summer. Because this project functioned so well as a creative avenue of self expression, I know I'll want to continue it into the future even if just for my own recollection.
I also hope to expand the number of games I stream to include more of my favorites, such as Overwatch, Heroes of the Storm, Dota 2, Guild Wars 2, ESO, Dragon Age, and onward!