I don't watch stuff like that for any game. Just like I don't wander around on youtube or any social media sites (outside this forum and one I run myself).

I despise all that stuff.

ESO_CenturionPlayer wrote: »

Why don’t more people watch ESO on Twitch? Unless there is a drop, typically only a few hundred viewers across all the streams.

Other competing MMORPG category games easily get 50-100 times more viewers on a daily basis. Why?

Personally, I don't find ESO streamers to be very entertaining. Watching writs being completed or having quest dialogue read out loud, or running normal random dungeons to level up their 28th alt, does not interest me. PVP being streamed can be entertaining if it's fast moving and the streamer can keep a good banter without being negative or nasty. With the release of Endless Archive today, I'm sure most streamers will be showing that and I'd bet half will be complaining about it, but I won't know for sure because i won't be tuned in to them unless there's a twitch drop active, which doesn't appear to be the case today.

I don't know that there's a simple answer.

It might be that a lot of viewers aren't very familiar with or interested in ESO as much as some of the other MMOs which are getting lots of views.

It might be that certain streamers or channels are using various methods to inflate their numbers somehow. I'm not sure how that would supposedly work, but I think I read some mention of some streamers embedding their streams in a number of web sites or web pages so that those will count as "viewers." If that's indeed happening-- however it's being done-- then it might be that ESO streamers do not, by and large, engage in such "number-inflating" practices. And then I think there are also bots or whatever that can be "bought" to watch channels and inflate numbers-- "you pay us and we'll help you get big numbers" kind of thing. Again, maybe ESO streamers don't engage in shady stuff like that?

It might be that the type of content being streamed isn't what a lot of viewers want to watch. ESO has a lot of different types of content, and some channels tend to focus on specific types of content-- PvP, trials, questing, housing, Tales of Tribute, etc. Specific channels tend to have dedicated viewers who like the type of content and/or the personality of the streamer.

It would be interesting to see where those huge numbers for some of the other games are coming from, such as most of them from specific countries, etc.?

The ESO community for whatever their reasons don't watch ESO on Twitch, and judging by this forums apathy towards streamers, twitch and streaming generally, it might be safe to even say that a large part of the ESO community might not even have Twitch accounts.

And nobody watches streams on YT so... :P

Typically I'll watch Twitch streams to see what a game is like to find out if it's worth buying or if the Streamer is entertaining. I don't really watch ESO streams though.

more people play the game than watch people play it.
it is pretty popular to play eso

Never used Twitch and have no interest in watching other people play computer games.

I used to watch streams and it felt like i was part of something fun and positive, then it all turned to absolute custard and viewership went right down. Aside from mature streamers like ninja614 who actually articulate sense and reason, its just a sea of cringe to me atleast.

I wouldn't know. I'm too old to watch people play games I can play myself. I have no desire to watch people play the game I could actually be playing at the same time and I see no point in watching people play the same game I am playing. I prefer listening to music.

Now, if they were actually instructive streams, I might be slightly tempted. But they aren't 99% of the time and I can't be bothered to find one that is. It's usually either "watch and see how good I am" or "here's my opinion". I don't know you, so why would I care? I can make up my own mind thank you very much. And if I need to know something there are more efficient ways to get that information. Like youtube, which gives me the info I want ad free and without wasting my time. I have no desire to wait 4 hours and see if some streamer actually helps me solve my problem of if he too decides to waste my time.

Then there's the fact I've been trying (and mostly succeeding) to stay away from any ads online. There's nothing worse than watching/reading something (assuming it's interesting) only for it to get cut off by a forced advertisement. No thanks. It's why I don't own a TV, so why would I accept it anywhere else?

The only people I know that watch people play games are kids age 10-12 and they can't even tell me why they are watching.

I don’t think there’s a way to say for certain, but I believe it’s a few things.

The game had a rocky launch and never really captured major gaming media’s attention. That initiall influx of streamers never really happened and didn’t build momentum as a result.

Honestly, it could also just be the game’s playerbase aren’t really into streamers. I’m almost 40, and I really don’t see the appeal of watching streams outside of the occasional tutorial, event, or controversy. Even then, the interest is short lived.

Much of the content is better played than watched. I play daily and never think to watch a streamer do the content that I could do myself. I would only watch something if I needed to learn from it, like making a build. I’ve watched Nefas, HTM, SawmanUk, Lucky Ghost, and Skinny Cheeks. But now, I mostly just play the game.

So many content creators focus on tutorials and beginner videos. I don’t really have need for that as a veteran player. Content I would enjoy, like something comedic or hyper competitive, largely isn’t there. The PVP isn't at an eSport level and hasn't seen updates to attract a more active streaming presence.

Lastly, incentives. I'll watch an official stream because I get something out of it. It's usually an announcement with some kind of reward deposited into my account. Then the unofficial streams following that usually echo the same information, with some commentary. They might have drops enabled, so I might watch in the background. Beyond that, I just don't feel the incentive to go there.

ESO seems to skew towards older players. ESO is less sexy and less competitive.

So, it draws neither the crowds there for the personalities nor the ones there for the competition. It's a casual game.

I haven't read everyone else's thoughts yet, but one other thing I thought of after I posted was the ESRB rating. Some (or all?) of the MMOs that have larger viewer numbers than ESO are rated T for teen, whereas ESO is rated M for mature. That might have some bearing on it, as well, since younger players are more likely to be familiar with MMOs rated T than with ESO.

Why would anyone want to watch ESO when they could play it (and for free, if they're good at inventory management)?

The only time I've ever watched a stream (more likely on Youtube than on Twitch) is to learn a mechanic rather than going blind into a group activity.

I am going to guess it is because ESO has a large number of older/more mature players who do not consider watching gameplay to be worth their time, and would rather spend that time playing the game itself. ESO also has a very large demographic of players aged 50+, and many people within that age range, from my personal experience, avoid social media platforms.

Within the younger demographic that plays ESO, we see the same tendencies- players who would rather spend their time playing than engaging in social media or watching someone else narrate the experience to them. Many people who play ESO are creative souls who would rather spend their time inventing characters or engaging in the games narrative than listening to someone else talk over it.

People say "you can do both at once", but why should I? I don't need to be bombarded by someone else's "content" while I'm immersing myself in a game I enjoy. I like to give my whole attention to what I am doing.

To be brutally honest- I think a lot of ESO players just find it flat out boring to spend any amount of time on twitch. I'm not trying to insult or bash the streamers by saying that- I'm saying it about twitch in general, for every game.

(That and 99% of the time, the focus isn't really on the content, but on adoration of the streamer themselves. There's only so many times a person can stand hearing the same repeated noises, memes going off, "thanks for the subs" and whatever else. If there's some kind of drop for a game I play, I'll watch a stream on very low volume so that I don't have to hear any of it. Otherwise, I'm simply not going to engage in the tedious repetition. Again, this criticism isn't directed at any particular individual but twitch as a platform and culture. I'm not into idolizing personalities.)

The only streamers I DO watch with the volume on are Matygon and IcyIC, because their content is wholesome and neither of them tolerate toxic behavior. I love listening to Maty play trumpet live, and I adore Icy's creativity with housing. But they are a rare exception, and I only watch when I am getting a drop, or during special events where they have information to impart that I may not have heard yet.