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These days it feels like everyone streams. The explosion of all online video content over the last decade is one thing, but videogame streaming is a more recent and unusual phenomenon - and one overwhelmingly tied to the Justin.tv spin-off Twitch. In June this year Twitch announced it had around 35 million viewers a month and this is important for one big reason; it makes eSports a viable career for a lot more individuals than ever before. In the simplest terms, five years ago you couldn't make a living as a professional gamer unless you were at the very top of a select few games. Now? Let's not go wild. But it's a different ecosystem, and one that gives a new level of visibility to a new type of player. I started checking out streams because I thought, being a games journalist and all, it was my Solemn Duty. There are all sorts, and a long-standing interest in StarCraft 2 led me up some weird avenues.
There are countless Grandmaster players you can't watch because they get pissy and shouty whenever someone beats them. There are players who pander to their audience with casual homophobia, or who build a following by 'stream-sniping' famous opponents, or who spend the whole time ranting about adblock (which, to be fair, must be infuriating). There are attractive women who stream StarCraft 2 wearing low-cut tops, and run the names and amounts of donations live across the screen as they play - a spectacle uncannily reminiscent of late-night Channel 5. There's Weeadmins, who advertises his stream with a picture of Yoda smoking a bong, and cheeses in every single game to some fantastic hip-hop playlists. Most StarCraft streamers are not anywhere near as unusual as this. But I suppose that's the beauty of Twitch; anyone and everyone can play.
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