Well that was fast... (Destiny)

by Kermit , Raleigh, NC, Friday, May 07, 2021, 13:26 (1299 days ago) @ Cody Miller

My disdain for streamers is exactly from stuff like this, where Bungie replaces actual community interaction with interacting with streamers as if they alone are the community and speak for all of us.

And I recognize that might not even be a real thing that’s happening, and it’s just a bias because it’s what I see because I’m not on any social media where I could even possibly see any other form of interaction.

To your second point, if you look at whom they invited from the community to look at Warmind… it was streamers mostly. I do think it's not a fiction, but of course you are right and we may not be seeing the whole picture.

But the real crux is that a game that's good for streamers is not necessarily a game good for players. Streaming is a very specific niche, and they want certain things out of their games. They need a game they can play a lot, and often, that people will want to watch them play. Certain things are better for streaming than others. The biggest is actually required time investment. If they can get things through time investment most people can't, that draws in viewers who want to see them get or do that thing.

I'll never forget when Datto said he "didn't feel like Destiny was respecting his time". His solution? More Grind. Not less. This perfectly illustrates the difference in mentality.

Generally, I see two types of streamers. Those who have a good personality and add humor or insight to playthroughs, or those who are highly skilled or decorated who people watch to see things they can't yet do or acquire. Most often, changes to loot based or MMO games to appeal to the second group are bad for the game in general (since they generally focus on increasing the required time investment), while for things like FPS, Fighting, or RTS/MOBA they can improve the game for everyone since it's about depth and skill ceiling.

You didn't explicitly mention that streamers have become a big part of Bungie's marketing engine, and I don't think it was planned at all. I think Bungie saw how negative feedback from streamers could (did?) hurt them, and they've been courting that vote ever since.

And you see other developers courting that vote, trying to convert streamers to an upcoming release, much like sports teams trying to recruit star players.

We end up with more games intended to be lifestyles. I don't begrudge anyone who likes this change. I wish I had more time for it myself.