Building viewer engagement through interaction rituals on Twitch.tv

Abstract

The expanding gaming industry now includes a large group of consumers who watch others play games. On Twitch.tvthe leading platform for gameplay streaminginfluencers livestream themselves playing games while viewers watch and interact with them. Previous research suggests that social interaction may be critical for a successful stream but has not studied gameplay streams as Interaction Rituals, a model describing how interaction lead to social motivation. Analysis of four gameplay streams shows how the streamer, through inclusion strategies and active viewer participation, promote viewer engagement in a way that resembles the mechanisms of offline Interaction Rituals. The model, therefore, appears to be useful for understanding how successful gameplay streams draw a returning audience through producing positive social emotions and parasocial attachment to the group.

Put Your “Hand Emotes in the Air:” Twitch Concerts as Unsuccessful Large‐Scale Interaction Rituals

“…Scholars have widely documented the social aspect of Twitch, identifying interaction in the synchronous chat feature as a central component to the experience (e.g., Hamilton et al 2014; Hilvert‐Bruce et al 2018; Jodén and Strandell 2021). This view was shared by the respondents of this research, who regarded Twitch as more interactive than other livestreaming platforms (Facebook or YouTube).…”

“…While Collins' (2004) interaction rituals model has become an increasingly popular inspiration for research on online interaction, empirical studies have predominantly used an analysis of text‐based exchange on social media sites (e.g., Dimaggio et al 2018; Jodén and Strandell 2021; Wang and Li 2020) or interviews with users (e.g., Bartholomew and Mason 2020). These methods, however, have drawbacks when analyzing the intensity of emotional energy of these interactions.…”

“…Dubbed by Ford et al (2017) as "crowdspeak," some compare these streams of fast-flowing comments to the type of interaction seen in a sports stadium, where the crowd engages in group-based activities (singing, chanting, or doing the wave). Studies like that of Ford et al (2017), Taylor (2018), Jodén andStrandell (2021), andHamilton et al (2014) emphasize the collective experience that this form of interaction affords, comparing the attained intersubjectivity to that seen in F2F events.…”

“…Users assert that the synchronicity of interaction, along with the highly regular broadcasting routine of streamers, 2 allows for the establishment of a virtual community (Hamilton et al 2014). While motivations to participate can vary depending on the type of stream and the mood of the viewer, the social aspect of the platform tends to remain a central feature (Hamilton et al 2014; Hilvert‐Bruce et al 2018; Jodén and Strandell 2021).…”

“…Although these insights are useful in understanding online interaction practices, it is important to note that they do not engage empirically with the level of attained emotional energy. That is to say, they do not consider the extent to which these virtual interactions are successful for participants (e.g., Jodén and Strandell 2021; Wang and Li 2020). An effort toward this comes from Dimaggio et al (2018), who quantitatively assesses the likelihood of receiving a response on an online forum.…”