World of Warcraft Community Magazine Issue 9 | Page 21

World of Warcraft Community Magazine // 21

Arena streamers gain popularity

a corner of the screen makes the

from Megadeth’s classic

primarily through personality.

experience of watching a Twitch

“Symphony of Destruction”). The

Like any video star in this age,

stream feel almost like a Skype

GIFT is on full display in Twitch

there are those whose obnoxious

call. I find it easy to leave on in

chat: transphobic comments

antics win them fans, but some of

the background as I’m getting

perforated an otherwise calm

the most consistent presences I

ready to go to class or a meal, and

stream, as questions about

saw were those, who instead offer

were it not for Twitch chat, the

the streamer’s gender popped

coaching advice. These are the

illusion that it was just me and

up amidst other questions

calmer players who you can trust

the streamer would be complete.

about their UI or PTR details.

are online at almost any time,

Twitch chat is highly anonymous,

ready to answer questions. The

not only because users can create

Twitch is also used for publicity

advice is also free, unless their

any username they choose, but

purposes -- aside from the

chat is designated as ‘subscriber

also because, on a busy stream,

various brands and teams that

only,’ in which case you will

their messages have left the

run ads during tournaments

have to pay a five dollar fee. The

eyespace of tens of thousands

or sponsor streams (Need for

careful, reasoned commentary

of other people before they can

Seat is a particularly prominent

throughout the match makes

feasibly be read. This anonymity

example), Blizzard themselves

the flurry of particle effects

plays into a phenomenon named

have put up streams to reveal

and stun timers sensible and

by Mike Krahulik of Penny Arcade

new content, as well as to

approachable, when otherwise

as The Greater Internet F***wad

broadcast from BlizzCon. The

it could turn into a meaningless

Theory. It states that a normal

@PlayHearthstone team ran a

haze (especially to someone

person, given anonymity and

hugely successful stream before

like me, who scares away from

an audience, transforms into a

the release of the first wing of

PvP quicker than a Goblin

raving, inconsiderate, f***wad

the current Blackrock Mountain

runs to a pile of explosives).

(readers might also recognize a

solo adventure as a way to reveal

The effect of having their face in

permutation of this phenomenon

the full list of new cards and also
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