Exploring the elements of success in online gameplay streaming on Twitch.tv through the lens of a streamer : Master of Creative Enterprise, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract

What constitutes success in online gameplay streaming, and how does one achieve this? My research seeks to answer this question through a qualitative research inquiry underpinned by an autoethnographic study of my own participant observation - as an online gameplay streamer - between March 2021 and November 2021. During this time, I positioned myself as a streamer on Twitch.tv with the intention to identify key elements of success in online streaming as a creative business. As a researcher-participant, I have since analysed my own experiences; I offer here a first-person critique of my journey through the research question. Within this work, I propose a niche in the research field, through a framework for streaming success, identified in terms of Streamer Health, Community Health, and Financial Health.