Reimagining “True Gamers” via Twitch Platform Tool

Abstract

The live streaming platform Twitch hosts thousands of streamers vying for the attention of users. Previous studies have identified the salience of parasocial relationships and emotional labor for understanding the work of streamers (Johnson & Woodcock, 2019) as well as the presence of toxic geek masculinity (Ruberg et. al., 2019) and gendered differences in streaming labor (Jenson & de Castell, 2018). Twitch has grown steadily since its start in 2011 (Taylor, 2018) and saw a massive increase in growth in 2020, maintaining its position as the number one game streaming site, ahead of YouTube Gaming and Facebook Gaming (Partis, 2021). As a visual platform where gamers of all kinds broadcast their gameplay, Twitch is a valuable site for research into the ongoing intersections of gender roles and gaming culture. Via thematic analysis of in-depth interviews, this pilot study examines how platform tools for discoverability and moderation influence female Twitch streamers’ presentations of themselves as game players. Findings suggest that active ‘anti-gate-keeping’ is widespread among streamers who wish to build inclusive, sustainable channels in which to play, socialize, and earn. Keywords: gender and gaming, live streaming, geek masculinity, anti-gatekeeping, thematic analysis