Gaming enthusiast Ms Nur Maisarah Binte xx started streaming only last September because she wanted to accompany her friend but little did she know she would become a Twitch affiliate in under a week.  

 

“I was new to Twitch and had zero clue on what I was doing,” she says, recounting her first streams in September 2020. Currently, Ms Maisarah has a sizable audience of almost 1,500 subscribers, who tune into her bi-weekly streams. 

 

Twitch, a live streaming platform for gamers, requires gamers to stream seven days in the last 30 days to at least three viewers and have at least 50 followers to be affiliates so that they can potentially make money from streaming.

 

Ms Maisarah isn’t alone in her video game streaming adventures.

 

“Some people say that it’s easier for girls as they are the minority, there [are] a lot of male streamers, so some people prefer to watch how a girl games,” says undergraduate streamer Ms Lynette Lim.

 

In 2020 alone, the public Discord server ‘SG Streamers’, an online hub for video game streamers, has skyrocketed from three members in April to almost 2,000 members by the end of December.

 

The growth, according to streamers who were interviewed, has been attributed to COVID-19 pandemic and measures to keep people at home.

 

“Probably since during Circuit Breaker, everyone was in the phase of trying something new,” Ms Chan says, “since streaming can be a sort of ‘side-income’ thing if you’re entertaining, more people are willing to try it. I mean, who doesn’t want to be paid for playing video games?”

 

Ms Chan who started streaming three years ago to cope with social anxiety also says Pathway, an initiative by *SCAPE to develop the potential of aspiring streamers, has a part to play in growing the number of players in Singapore.

 

But money is not the draw for Ms Lim who started streaming to find like-minded hobbyists.

 

“I play different games that some people have no access to, as they can’t afford the console or don’t play at all, so they don’t know the history of the game, and I like to share my passion, so sharing it and having people to enjoy is one thing,” says Ms Lim who does not play popular games such as Defense of the Ancients (DotA) and League of Legends.

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She categorises streamers into two types: the first competitive streamer who aims for big numbers for their views, subscriber and like count and the casual streamer, like her, who is content with a small group of viewers. 

 

“I think [competitive streamers] usually burn out fast, those that aim to be ‘professional’. If they don’t make it, their channels slowly die down,” Ms Lee says

 

“In my opinion, if you want to earn money from streaming, it’s really hard,” says Ms “It’s not that sustainable, especially in Singapore’s context where everyone is busy with their own lives.”

 

 Ms Lim who has around 300 followers streams once a week because of her desire to have a “second life” outside of school. 

 

“I think the second life that you have, which is your passions, it’s good to have something you enjoy doing besides your corporate life or your career,” she says.
 

According to a survey conducted among 133 respondents, a staggering 88 per cent of respondents said they saw an increase in local video game streamers. 

For these streamers who have jumped onto the bandwagon, these female gamers advise new and aspiring streamers to focus on relation-building instead of money-making.

 

“Make an effort to network around especially in the Singapore community,” says Ms Chan when asked for advice to new streamers. “Networking is so important for streaming to help grow your channel, but don’t force it because people can catch onto fake connections.” 

 

This sentiment is shared by Ms Lim, “Give yourself a personality and enjoy yourself, don’t think too much of the ambitions.”

 

“Your success will come by if you enjoy yourself. That’s what my viewers told me too,” Ms Lim says with a laugh.

 

As for Ms Maisarah who is aiming to go on to the next level as a Twitch partner which comes with more perks, she says: “I do believe that Singapore gaming will be one of the big things happening this year, and for future years to come.”