What streaming means for the future of entertainment
-
0:01 - 0:05I am obsessed with forming
healthy communities, -
0:05 - 0:07and that's why I started Twitch --
-
0:07 - 0:10to help people watch other people
play video games on the internet. -
0:10 - 0:12(Laughter)
-
0:12 - 0:14Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
-
0:14 - 0:15(Laughter)
-
0:15 - 0:17So in seriousness,
-
0:17 - 0:21video games and communities
truly are quite related. -
0:22 - 0:24From our early human history,
-
0:24 - 0:28we made our entertainment
together in small tribes. -
0:28 - 0:30We shared stories around the campfire,
-
0:30 - 0:33we sang together, we danced together.
-
0:33 - 0:37Our earliest entertainment
was both shared and interactive. -
0:38 - 0:42It wasn't until pretty recently
on the grand scale of human history -
0:42 - 0:44that interactivity took a back seat
-
0:44 - 0:47and broadcast entertainment took over.
-
0:47 - 0:52Radio and records brought music
into our vehicles, into our homes. -
0:52 - 0:58TV and VHS brought sports and drama
into our living rooms. -
0:58 - 1:02This access to broadcast entertainment
was unprecedented. -
1:02 - 1:06It gave people amazing content
around the globe. -
1:06 - 1:09It created a shared culture
for millions of people. -
1:12 - 1:16And now, if you want to go watch
or listen to Mozart, -
1:16 - 1:20you don't have to buy an incredibly
expensive ticket and find an orchestra. -
1:21 - 1:22And if you like to sing --
-
1:22 - 1:26(Sings) I can show you the world --
-
1:26 - 1:30then you have something in common
with people around the world. -
1:33 - 1:34But with this amazing access,
-
1:34 - 1:39we allowed for a separation
between creator and consumer, -
1:40 - 1:44and the relationship between the two
became much more one-way. -
1:46 - 1:52We wound up in a world where we had
a smaller class of professional creators -
1:52 - 1:56and most of us became spectators,
-
1:56 - 2:02and as a result it became far easier
for us to enjoy that content alone. -
2:02 - 2:04There's a trend counteracting this:
-
2:04 - 2:05scarcity.
-
2:05 - 2:10So, Vienna in the 1900s,
was famous for its café culture. -
2:10 - 2:14And one of the big drivers
of that café culture -
2:14 - 2:17was expensive newspapers
that were hard to get, -
2:17 - 2:19and as a result,
-
2:19 - 2:22people would go to the café
and read the shared copy there. -
2:22 - 2:24And once they're in the cafe,
-
2:24 - 2:27they meet the other people
also reading the same newspaper, -
2:27 - 2:30they converse, they exchange ideas
-
2:30 - 2:31and they form a community.
-
2:33 - 2:34In a similar way,
-
2:34 - 2:37TV and cable used to be more expensive,
-
2:37 - 2:40and so you might not watch
the game at home. -
2:40 - 2:42Instead you'd go to the local bar
-
2:42 - 2:44and cheer along with
your fellow sports fans there. -
2:45 - 2:50But as the price of media continues
to fall over time thanks to technology, -
2:51 - 2:56this shared necessity that used to bring
our communities together falls away. -
2:57 - 3:02We have so many amazing options
for our entertainment, -
3:02 - 3:08and yet it's easier than ever for us
to wind up consuming those options alone. -
3:09 - 3:11Our communities
are bearing the consequences. -
3:12 - 3:13For example,
-
3:13 - 3:17the number of people who report
having at least two close friends -
3:17 - 3:18is at an all-time low.
-
3:21 - 3:26I believe that one of the major
contributing causes to this -
3:26 - 3:31is that our entertainment today
allows us to be separate. -
3:34 - 3:38There is one trend reversing
this atomization of our society: -
3:38 - 3:41modern multiplayer video games.
-
3:42 - 3:46Games are like a shared campfire.
-
3:46 - 3:49They're both interactive and connecting.
-
3:50 - 3:53Now these campfires
may have beautiful animations, -
3:53 - 3:55heroic quests,
-
3:55 - 3:57occasionally too many loot boxes,
-
3:58 - 4:00but games today are very different
-
4:00 - 4:03than the solitary activity
of 20 years ago. -
4:04 - 4:05They're deeply complex,
-
4:06 - 4:07they're more intellectually stimulating,
-
4:07 - 4:10and most of all,
they're intrinsically social. -
4:12 - 4:16One of the recent breakout genres
exemplifying this change -
4:16 - 4:18is the battle royale.
-
4:18 - 4:23100 people parachute onto an island
in a last-man-standing competition. -
4:23 - 4:26Think of it as being
kind of like "American Idol," -
4:26 - 4:30but with a lot more fighting
and a lot less Simon Cowell. -
4:32 - 4:33You may have heard of "Fortnite,"
-
4:33 - 4:37which is a breakout example
of the battle royale genre, -
4:37 - 4:41which has been played by more
than 250 million people around the world. -
4:41 - 4:43It's everyone from kids
in your neighborhood -
4:43 - 4:46to Drake and Ellen DeGeneres.
-
4:46 - 4:492.3 billion people in the world
play video games. -
4:49 - 4:54Early games like "Tetris" and "Mario"
may have been simple puzzles or quests, -
4:54 - 4:57but with the rise of arcades
and then internet play, -
4:57 - 5:02and now massively multiplayer games
of huge, thriving online communities, -
5:02 - 5:05games have emerged
as the one form of entertainment -
5:05 - 5:09where consumption truly requires
human connection. -
5:10 - 5:12So this brings us to streaming.
-
5:12 - 5:15Why do people stream themselves
playing video games? -
5:15 - 5:20And why do hundreds of millions
of people around the world -
5:20 - 5:21congregate to watch them?
-
5:23 - 5:26I want you all the imagine for second --
-
5:26 - 5:28imagine you land on an alien planet,
-
5:28 - 5:31and on this planet,
there's a giant green rectangle. -
5:31 - 5:33And in this green rectangle,
-
5:33 - 5:35aliens in matching outfits
-
5:35 - 5:37are trying to push a checkered
sphere between two posts -
5:37 - 5:39using only their feet.
-
5:39 - 5:40It's pretty evenly matched,
-
5:40 - 5:43so the ball is just going back and forth,
-
5:43 - 5:47but there's hundreds of millions
of people watching from home anyway, -
5:47 - 5:51and cheering and getting excited
and engaged right along with them. -
5:51 - 5:53Now I grew up watching sports with my dad,
-
5:53 - 5:57so I get why soccer
is entertaining and engaging. -
5:57 - 6:00But if you don't watch sports,
-
6:00 - 6:03maybe you like watching
"Dancing with the Stars" -
6:03 - 6:05or you enjoy "Top Chef."
-
6:06 - 6:08Regardless, the principle is the same.
-
6:09 - 6:11If there is an activity
that you really enjoy, -
6:13 - 6:15you're probably going to like
watching other people do it -
6:15 - 6:18with skill and panache.
-
6:19 - 6:21It might be perplexing to an alien,
-
6:21 - 6:24but bonding over shared passion
is a human universal. -
6:25 - 6:31So gamers grew up expecting
this live, interactive entertainment, -
6:31 - 6:34and passive consumption
just doesn't feel as fulfilling. -
6:34 - 6:38That's why livestreaming
has taken off with video games. -
6:39 - 6:44Because livestreaming offers
that same kind of interactive feeling. -
6:47 - 6:51So when you imagine
what's happening on Twitch, -
6:51 - 6:58I don't want you to think
of a million livestreams of video games. -
6:58 - 7:05Instead, what I want you to picture
is millions of campfires. -
7:05 - 7:06Some of them are bonfires --
-
7:06 - 7:11huge, roaring bonfires with hundreds
of thousands of people around them. -
7:11 - 7:14Some of them are smaller,
more intimate community gatherings -
7:14 - 7:16where everyone knows your name.
-
7:16 - 7:20Let's try taking a seat
by one of those campfires right now. -
7:23 - 7:25Hey Cohh, how's it going?
-
7:25 - 7:26Cohh: Hey, how's it going, Emmett?
-
7:26 - 7:30ES: So I'm here at TED
with about 1,000 of my closest friends, -
7:30 - 7:34and we thought we'd come
and join you guys for a little stream. -
7:34 - 7:37Cohh: Awesome! It's great
to hear from you guys. -
7:37 - 7:40ES: So Cohh, can you share
with the TED audience here -- -
7:40 - 7:44what have you learned
about your community on Twitch? -
7:44 - 7:46Cohh: Ah, man, where to begin?
-
7:46 - 7:49I've been doing this
for over five years now, -
7:49 - 7:54and if there's one thing that doesn't
cease to impress me on the daily, -
7:54 - 7:58it's just kind of how incredible
this whole thing is for communication. -
7:58 - 8:01I've been playing games
for 20 years of my life, -
8:01 - 8:04I've led online MMO guilds for over 10,
-
8:04 - 8:08and it's the kind of thing
where there's very few places in life -
8:08 - 8:12where you can go to meet
so many people with similar interests. -
8:12 - 8:13I was listening in a bit earlier;
-
8:14 - 8:16I love the campfire analogy,
I actually use a similar one. -
8:16 - 8:19I see it all as a bunch of people
on a big couch -
8:19 - 8:20but only one person has the controller.
-
8:20 - 8:23So it's kind of like
a "Pass the snack!" situation, you know? -
8:23 - 8:25700 people that way --
-
8:25 - 8:28but it's great and really it's just --
-
8:28 - 8:32ES: So Cohh, what is going on
in chat right now? -
8:32 - 8:33Can you explain that a little bit to us?
-
8:34 - 8:38Because my eyesight isn't that good
but I see a lot of emotes. -
8:38 - 8:41Cohh: So this is my community;
this is the Cohhilition. -
8:41 - 8:42I stream every single day.
-
8:42 - 8:44I actually just wrapped up
a 2,000-day challenge, -
8:44 - 8:48and as such, we have developed
a pretty incredible community -
8:48 - 8:50here in the channel.
-
8:50 - 8:52Right now we have
about 6200 people with us. -
8:52 - 8:55What you're seeing is a spam
of "Hello, TED" good-vibe emotes, -
8:55 - 8:57love emotes,
-
8:57 - 8:58"this is awesome,"
-
8:58 - 9:00"Hi, guys," "Hi, everyone."
-
9:00 - 9:02Basically just a huge
collection of people -- -
9:02 - 9:04huge collection of gamers
-
9:04 - 9:07that are all just experiencing
a positive event together. -
9:07 - 9:10ES: So is there anything that --
can we poll chat? -
9:10 - 9:11I want ask chat a question.
-
9:12 - 9:15Is there anything
that chat would like the world, -
9:15 - 9:18and particularly these people
here with me at TED right now, -
9:18 - 9:22to know about what they get
out of playing video games -
9:22 - 9:23and being part of this community?
-
9:24 - 9:26Cohh: Oh, wow.
-
9:26 - 9:29I am already starting to see
a lot of answers here. -
9:31 - 9:32"I like the good vibes."
-
9:34 - 9:36"Best communities are on Twitch."
-
9:37 - 9:39(Laughter)
-
9:39 - 9:42"They get us through
the rough patches in life." -
9:43 - 9:46Oh, that's a message
I definitely see a lot on Twitch, -
9:46 - 9:47which is very good.
-
9:48 - 9:49"A very positive community,"
-
9:49 - 9:52"a lot of positivity,"
-
9:52 - 9:53which is pretty great.
-
9:53 - 9:57ES: So Cohh, before I get back
to my TED talk, -
9:57 - 10:01which I actually should probably
get back to doing at some point -- -
10:01 - 10:02(Laughter)
-
10:02 - 10:05Do you have anything else
that you want to share with me -
10:05 - 10:06or any question you wanted to ask,
-
10:06 - 10:10you've always wanted
to get out there before an audience? -
10:10 - 10:11Cohh: Honestly, not too much.
-
10:11 - 10:14I mean, I absolutely love
what you're doing right now. -
10:14 - 10:16I think that the interactive streaming
-
10:16 - 10:19is the big unexplored frontier
of the future in entertainment, -
10:19 - 10:22and thank you for doing
everything you're doing up there. -
10:22 - 10:25The more people that hear
about what you do, the better -- -
10:25 - 10:26for everyone on here.
-
10:26 - 10:27ES: Awesome, Cohh. Thanks so much.
-
10:28 - 10:30I'm going to get back
to giving this talk now, -
10:30 - 10:31but we should catch up later.
-
10:31 - 10:32Cohh: Sounds great!
-
10:32 - 10:35(Applause)
-
10:37 - 10:39ES: So that was a new way to interact.
-
10:40 - 10:43We could influence
what happened on the stream, -
10:44 - 10:46we could cocreate
the experience along with him, -
10:49 - 10:54and we really had a multiplayer experience
with chat and with Cohh. -
10:55 - 10:58At Twitch, we've started calling this,
-
10:58 - 11:01as a result, "multiplayer entertainment."
-
11:02 - 11:09Because going from watching a video alone
to watching a live interactive stream -
11:09 - 11:15is similar to the difference between
going from playing a single-player game -
11:15 - 11:17to playing a multiplayer game.
-
11:19 - 11:23Gamers are often as the forefront
of exploration in new technology. -
11:26 - 11:31Microcomputers, for example,
were used early on for video games, -
11:31 - 11:38and the very first handheld, digital
mass-market devices weren't cell phones, -
11:38 - 11:40they were Gameboys ...
-
11:40 - 11:41for video games.
-
11:41 - 11:44And as a result,
-
11:44 - 11:50one way that you can get a hint
of what the future might hold -
11:50 - 11:54is to look to this fun, interactive
sandbox of video games -
11:54 - 11:56and ask yourself,
-
11:56 - 11:58"what are these gamers doing today?"
-
11:58 - 12:02And that might give you a hint
as to what the future is going to hold -
12:02 - 12:03for all of us.
-
12:04 - 12:07One of the things
we're already seeing on Twitch -
12:07 - 12:10is multiplayer entertainment
coming to sports. -
12:10 - 12:15So, Twitch and the NFL teamed up
to offer livestreaming football, -
12:15 - 12:19but instead of network announcers
in suits streaming the game, -
12:19 - 12:21we got Twitch users to come in
-
12:22 - 12:24and stream it themselves
on their own channel -
12:24 - 12:27and interact with their community
-
12:27 - 12:30and make it a real multiplayer experience.
-
12:30 - 12:35So I actually think that if you
look out into the future -- -
12:35 - 12:40only hundreds of people today
get to be sports announcers. -
12:41 - 12:44It's a tiny, tiny number of people
who have that opportunity. -
12:44 - 12:48But sports are about to go multiplayer,
-
12:48 - 12:51and that means that anyone
who wants to around the world -
12:51 - 12:56is going to get the opportunity
to become a sports announcer, -
12:56 - 12:58to give it a shot.
-
12:58 - 13:01And I think that's going to unlock
incredible amounts of new talent -
13:01 - 13:02for all of us.
-
13:02 - 13:05And we're not going to be asking,
"Did you catch the game?" -
13:05 - 13:07Instead, we're going to be asking,
-
13:07 - 13:10"Whose channel did you catch the game on?"
-
13:12 - 13:17We already see this happening
with cooking, with singing -- -
13:17 - 13:19we even see people streaming welding.
-
13:20 - 13:25And all of this stuff is going to happen
around the metaphorical campfire. -
13:26 - 13:28There's going to be millions
of these campfires lit -
13:28 - 13:30over the next few years.
-
13:30 - 13:33And on every topic,
-
13:33 - 13:35you're going to be able to find a campfire
-
13:35 - 13:39that will allow you to bond
with your people around the world. -
13:39 - 13:41For most of human history,
-
13:41 - 13:44entertainment was simply multiplayer.
-
13:44 - 13:46We sang together in person,
-
13:46 - 13:50we shared news together
in the town square in person, -
13:50 - 13:53and somewhere along the way,
-
13:53 - 13:58that two-way conversation
turned into a one-way transmission. -
13:59 - 14:01As someone who cares about communities,
-
14:01 - 14:03I am excited for a world
-
14:03 - 14:08where our entertainment
could connect us instead of isolating us. -
14:10 - 14:15A world where we can bond with each other
over our shared interests -
14:15 - 14:17and create real, strong communities.
-
14:18 - 14:22Games, streams and the interactions
they encourage, -
14:22 - 14:26are only just beginning
to turn the wheel back -
14:26 - 14:30to our interactive, community-rich,
multiplayer past. -
14:31 - 14:34Thank you all for sharing
this experience here with me, -
14:34 - 14:37and may you all find your best campfire.
-
14:37 - 14:39(Applause)
- Title:
- What streaming means for the future of entertainment
- Speaker:
- Emmett Shear
- Description:
-
In a talk and demo, Twitch cofounder Emmett Shear shares his vision for the future of interactive entertainment -- and explains how video game streaming is helping people build communities online. "I am excited for a world where our entertainment could connect us instead of isolating us -- a world where we can bond with each other over our shared interests and create real, strong communities," Shear says.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 14:55
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for What streaming means for the future of entertainment | ||
Brian Greene approved English subtitles for What streaming means for the future of entertainment | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for What streaming means for the future of entertainment | ||
Joanna Pietrulewicz accepted English subtitles for What streaming means for the future of entertainment | ||
Joanna Pietrulewicz edited English subtitles for What streaming means for the future of entertainment | ||
Joanna Pietrulewicz edited English subtitles for What streaming means for the future of entertainment | ||
Leslie Gauthier edited English subtitles for What streaming means for the future of entertainment | ||
Leslie Gauthier edited English subtitles for What streaming means for the future of entertainment |