Why ESO players are not into it?

liliub17_ESO

sarahthes wrote: »

ESO population skews a little older. I've noticed a distinct lack of twitch interest in older gamers.

I'm one of those "older gamers" - and I am at work when most Twitch anything happens. Even if I do manage to watch, it is so boring, I click right back out. There are two gaming channels I do watch - and they're both totally different type of game, fun commentary, and short videos.

So, to answer the questions:

• "Is the game boring to watch?" - Yes. But why would I watch when I can play?
• "Need more good streamers?" - No, but why would I watch when I can play?
• "No time for it?" - Not really, but why would I watch when I can play?

Elsonso

sarahthes wrote: »

ESO population skews a little older. I've noticed a distinct lack of twitch interest in older gamers.

People say that, but I question whether that really applies to ESO.

As others have said, ESO is not a strong competitive game, and that sort of content drives a lot of viewership on Twitch. Streams about how to play can be watched and learned from, but once that happens, continuing to watch them has diminishing returns if the streamer offers nothing else.

What I see in the ESO community is people hanging out. ESO Fam, and all that. Sure, there are PVP players, and players that focus on PVE content, and there are streamers for that content, but it always seems like ESO is strong with just hanging out with other ESO players and sharing what is happening in the game. Not the cup of tea for everyone, of course, but it seems to be quite popular.

Tornaad

liliub17_ESO wrote: »

sarahthes wrote: »

ESO population skews a little older. I've noticed a distinct lack of twitch interest in older gamers.

I'm one of those "older gamers" - and I am at work when most Twitch anything happens. Even if I do manage to watch, it is so boring, I click right back out. There are two gaming channels I do watch - and they're both totally different type of game, fun commentary, and short videos.

So, to answer the questions:

• "Is the game boring to watch?" - Yes. But why would I watch when I can play?
• "Need more good streamers?" - No, but why would I watch when I can play?
• "No time for it?" - Not really, but why would I watch when I can play?

Additionally, they are often terrible at letting us know when they are going to stream.

DoofusMax

I'll watch streams or let's plays when it's a game I'm interested in buying, and that's mostly just enough to get a decent idea of whether it's something that I'd be willing to sink some time into. But watching someone else play a game that I've already got and can play for myself? Not really my thing.

Tallon_IV

A lot of those people never close their launchers.

TaSheen

Tallon_IV wrote: »

A lot of those people never close their launchers.

"Those people"? Who would those be?

I don't use a launcher.... never have.... in any game. I use a shortcut to the executable on my taskbar.

moderatelyfatman

Sporigudinai wrote: »

Looking at the SteamCharts numbers, we can see that ESO have almost the same number of players online as Albion Online, Path of Exile, Black Desert, Diablo IV, etc... But, if you look at the top most watched games on Twitch (https://www.twitchmetrics.net/games) this month or any other, we can see ESO way back at the bottom of it. So, i was wondering, why that happens?
Is the game boring to watch? Need more good streamers? No time for it?

Twitch viewership tends to be younger while ESO players skew towards the older (over 30) demographic. When ESO players watch competition, it's probably going to be actual sports and not e-sports.

ArchMikem

Watching someone else play a game needs to be entertaining and exciting. Fast paced. ESO in general is very much not thus. The only aspects I'd think are worthy of streaming for viewers is PvP and Trial runs, but even then, PvE content could be found as boring to a spectator. Tank aggros, group bunches up and dps dumps until mob with millions of health finally dies.

That just leaves PvP, where fights are dynamic and spontaneous, but even then there's a lot of the same moments. PvDoor, ball group farming, riding cross country to get somewhere. This just isn't a fun game to watch.

TaSheen

moderatelyfatman wrote: »

Sporigudinai wrote: »

Looking at the SteamCharts numbers, we can see that ESO have almost the same number of players online as Albion Online, Path of Exile, Black Desert, Diablo IV, etc... But, if you look at the top most watched games on Twitch (https://www.twitchmetrics.net/games) this month or any other, we can see ESO way back at the bottom of it. So, i was wondering, why that happens?
Is the game boring to watch? Need more good streamers? No time for it?

Twitch viewership tends to be younger while ESO players skew towards the older (over 30) demographic. When ESO players watch competition, it's probably going to be actual sports and not e-sports.

For me at least that's true. I'm in my mid-70s, and the only use I have for tv is baseball, basketball, football, and rodeo - and I don't watch it, I listen to it (tv's behind me, and I'm always online on two screens - game on the left one, and everything else on the right one....)

vsrs_au

I don't watch ESO on streams mainly because

1. there's no index to tell me what happens when in the stream, so I can't find the information I want;
2. too much talking, not enough action (I stopped watching TV and listening to radio many years ago for the same reason); and
3. all the streamers use so many addons that add UI elements, that I find the whole layout distracting and irritating to look at I prefer my ESO UI to be minimal and not distracting, with as few windows as possible, and with the enemy/AOE/etc highlights set to low brightness and high transparency, so they're only just visible enough to provide the necessary cues.

DreamyLu

For me, no matter the game, I have zero interest in watching others playing.

Beside, I have so many other things I love to do aside gaming and never enough time for everything... No way I will lose time for that.

OtarTheMad

I watch some Twitch streamers and YouTubers sometimes and I am older, not old old but not young. I don’t like to watch ESO because honestly a lot of people take the game so seriously… and some of the ones that don’t are just toxic… that’s being honest. Sure, some are good and fun but not a lot.

I watch streamers who joke around and have fun while also doing the game too. It’s a game, a pass time that most use for stress relief or having fun with friends. Maybe that’s just me but that’s been my experiences most streamers I watched who did ESO don’t anymore.

VisitHammerfell

I play ESO, I generally do not want to watch it too, occasionally might if it's something like live solo arenas or solo trifectas, housing tours, showing off new furnishings, ToT so I can learn from them. Don't want to watch questing, don't want to listen to PvP banter, don't want to listen to people's groups constantly swearing or making dirty jokes, don't want to watch PC people use a gazillion addons. There's only a small number people I ever like watching play other games. Even then, I would 1000x rather watch YouTube than Twitch.

It's interesting bc sometimes I'll watch people play WoW as background noise despite never playing it myself

Zodiarkslayer

Twitch numbers are not indicative of popularity.

The concept of watching selfimportant "professionals" of questionable character, only to endorse them by stuffing money down their throat, that they neither earned, nor deserved, sums up the state of western society pretty well. Wouldn't you agree? 😉

SkaiFaith

How many viewers does Skyrim have on Twitch?

ESO is more like Skyrim than any other game, so if Skyrim has low viewers you kinda have your answer there.
But I'm just guessing, since I barely use Twitch out of inconvenience - I mostly watch YouTube on my TV.

Also, if I watch streams they are usually VoDs so I can skip to the parts I'm interested in. I can't stand "dead times"... Maybe it's just me but the older I get the less patience I have.

daim

Do you know why I watch Rust from stream ? Because it's fun to watch others suffer! But I would lose my mind playing a game like that. That is not the case in ESO, not really seeing myself watching someone questing or building a house interior.

colossalvoids

ESO is way more of a casual game currently, a lot of good streamers aren't ESO streamers anymore. When I've tried to see if there's anything to watch it's just people farming something, doing quests etc. which isn't something I'd be watching personally.

I was there for people doing their world first's, score runner teams and people like Fengrush as an example, game felt huge in comparison. I'd also be watching Path of Exile compared to ESO if wanted a stream, as it's very "alive" game where best players are streaming a lot, even now on "dead league".

Tandor

Zodiarkslayer wrote: »

Twitch numbers are not indicative of popularity.

The concept of watching selfimportant "professionals" of questionable character, only to endorse them by stuffing money down their throat, that they neither earned, nor deserved, sums up the state of western society pretty well. Wouldn't you agree? 😉

But...but... they're content creators! Apparently, although I've searched all over Tamriel and have yet to find any content they created !

Yamenstein

Most of the big eso players are moving on to new things. The game is becoming stale, and very casual. ESO has great potential, but that’s all it’ll be as long as the devs cater heavily for the casual players.

The PvP could really make this game great - if more time and money was spent on it.

Vaqual

The day has 24 hours, why would I watch a streamer going afk or standing around? Stream highlights on youtube are maybe acceptable, but watching live is a huge waste of time.

KlauthWarthog

I think the last time ESO streams had some semblance of viewership was during the brief period when IC was good for big PvP fights.
This game is very boring to watch... and this is coming from someone who watches people assembling Lego on twitch.

alpha_synuclein

Tandor wrote: »

Zodiarkslayer wrote: »

Twitch numbers are not indicative of popularity.

The concept of watching selfimportant "professionals" of questionable character, only to endorse them by stuffing money down their throat, that they neither earned, nor deserved, sums up the state of western society pretty well. Wouldn't you agree? 😉

But...but... they're content creators! Apparently, although I've searched all over Tamriel and have yet to find any content they created !

Are people born with this level of condescension or did you have to practice?

Sporigudinai

That´s nice, lots of points of views. My original doubt was why some MMOs or RPGs were more popular on twitch then ESO, even having less or the same amount of player base.
I guess the lack of competitive content, the average age of players have a lot to do about it.

I know a lot of players here don´t ´watch streams, but the ones who watch, why don´t they watch ESO? That´s what i was curious about. But i think the main reasons are already given here.

When i like a game and play it, if i´m doing something that allow me to watch stuffs, i´m used to watch something related to things i like. Even at the background while i´m doing some chores or things like that.

bmnoble

I rarely watch anyone else play a game, the few videos I do watch are usually summaries of major changes or bugs too look out for on Youtube, or interesting video's that catch my attention.

It is very rare if those videos are ever more than 10 maybe 30 minutes in length got zero desire to sit and watch someones multiple hour long streams, I would rather be playing the game myself.

DonHardstyle

I personally dont care about streams or eso related video's. The only stream i "watch" is the one im in myself to see when i can port to the new instance.

alpha_synuclein

My watching time competes with my playing time, so I only watch things that I wouldn't be able to see otherwise (like new trials on PTS) or things that don't require me to actually look at the screen (like Skinny's patch notes rewievs), so I can do something in the meantime.
Overall it's not much.

TaSheen

Zodiarkslayer wrote: »

Twitch numbers are not indicative of popularity.

The concept of watching selfimportant "professionals" of questionable character, only to endorse them by stuffing money down their throat, that they neither earned, nor deserved, sums up the state of western society pretty well. Wouldn't you agree? 😉

Uh. Well, it's better than seeing money stuffed elsewhere, y'know?

RaddlemanNumber7

Because I've never seen an ESO streamer playing the game using a dance mat

Four_Fingers

Just don't have the time to keep up with a couple of games and watch other players play on Twitch.
I am also a member of the "Get Off My Lawn" generation and not that much into social media except Discord where I do watch a few game videos posted by my guild members.

p_tsakirisb16_ESO

Sporigudinai wrote: »

Looking at the SteamCharts numbers, we can see that ESO have almost the same number of players online as Albion Online, Path of Exile, Black Desert, Diablo IV, etc... But, if you look at the top most watched games on Twitch (https://www.twitchmetrics.net/games) this month or any other, we can see ESO way back at the bottom of it. So, i was wondering, why that happens?
Is the game boring to watch? Need more good streamers? No time for it?

The majority playing this game on it's standalone client not Steam and also the community has pretty high average age in their 40s.

Which means we rather play the game than watch someone else playing the game.