The notion of a player streaming themselves playing video games to an audience of hundreds, perhaps thousands, may seem absurd to some, but the activity is quickly shaping the future of the video game industry.
Over the last half-decade, services like Twitch and Youtube Live have become communal hubs the likes of which have not been since since the golden era of arcades in the 1980s. More personable than gaming sites, more interactive than Youtube content, and more inclusive than most multiplayer experiences, streaming has seen the rise of a whole new pantheon of gaming icons.
In 2013, Twitch launched a software development kit designed to raise immersion levels by integrating features through which a streamer’s audience can influence various factors in the game. For instance, users could choose how many enemies a player faces on a particular mission, change the rules of a competitive match, or impact the environment to provide added challenge. It’s an innovative way to bolster connection between streamers and their audience, but hasn’t really been put to use effectively…until now.
Following the release of Clustertruck on PC last week, developer Landfall Games have been pranking streamers by taking over their games via admin-only chat commands. Through simple changes like deactivating gravity, slowing down the game, or Rickrolling players as they approach the finish line, Landfall have elevated the streaming experience and established a strong affinity for their game in the streaming community. You can check out the video, featuring streamer TomFawkes, by clicking the image below.
With increased emphasis being placed on the Virtual Reality experience, we have to wonder whether the future of video gaming truly exists within an isolating headset and individual experience, or more collaborative, inclusive events like these.
Click to watch Landfall Games overrun TomFawkes’s ClusterTruck stream.