Welcome to the “Inflatable banana” of content development.
The popular gaming and Hot tub streaming site, Twitch has just announced a controversial new policy that has thrown the streaming community into a pot of hot water, literally. As of right now, as part of their new “Soaked Streamers” endeavor, Twitch is mandating that all streamers, yes all, do at least one hot tub stream every month. Some have praised the move as a brave step toward diversity and originality, while others have questioned the sanity of the platform as a whole.
Hot Tubs?
To those who are unfamiliar, a “hot tub stream” is a live video broadcast by a streamer while relaxing in, among other things, a hot tub. Imagine a group of performers in the latest swimwear sitting in a hot tub while water cascades all around them as they interact with the chat. The reasoning behind the recent change at Twitch is to provide users with more advertiser options. After all, it’s much more relaxing to watch your favorite streamer essentially take a bath, rather than play a video game and advertiser are looking to cash in on this stress free content.
Twitch says this change will help streamers test out new content ideas, as it seeks to repair the damage done by its other recent policy update. Many streamers have become popular on the platform, not because they can turn their homes into water parks, but because their viewers find them entertaining to watch. Even if they aren’t scantily clad. However, streamers could feel like they’re battling to keep their heads above the hot water as they now have to engage in hot tub streams. Luckily, there is no mandatory dress code as of yet.
The Affect on Streamers
There is also worry about how this new restriction will affect the streaming community in as a whole. When it comes to stream content, will Twitch soon demand the absurdity of chainsaw juggling or playing video games for over 24 hours? There is also concern that this change will encourage streamers to focus more on novelty content than on developing meaningful relationships with their viewers. Potentially transforming Twitch into a place to watch irrelevant entertainment rather than high-quality gameplay with a parasocial relationship.
Twitch Responds
Twitch issued a statement in response to the criticism, saying, “We believe that hot tub streams offer a unique opportunity for our streamers to showcase their uh, creativity and entertain their viewers in unexpected or mostly expected ways.” We know that transitions can be difficult, but we want our streamers to take this new path and establish a name for themselves in the streaming industry.
Some have argued that this change is nothing more than an attempt to increase Twitch’s audience and revenue. Twitch wants to expand its audience beyond the video game community, thus it is requiring streamers to adopt “hot tub” streams. After all, displaying a watery spectacle is a surefire method to attract more viewers.
In Conclusion:
How streamers will adjust to this new restriction is unclear as the “Soaked Streamers” event makes its way across the streaming platform. Will Twitch Streamers accept the absurdity and discover ways to work hot tubs into their streams? Or will they just go to a better platform?
We don’t know if Twitch’s new policy will put an end to the streaming site as we know it, or usher in a golden age for original content. Get ready to jump into a hot, watery world, where hot tub streams rule by donning tiny swimwear. Don’t forget the water wings and inflatables!
This is satire and in no way represents actual events or policies (yet). There have been no announcements regarding required hot tub streams on Twitch (for