Asmongold Discusses Obsession with Viewer Numbers on Twitch
Asmongold, the most-watched World of Warcraft streamer on Twitch, recently addressed the harmful effects of focusing too much on viewer numbers. During a stream, he reviewed chat logs of banned users who were attempting to appeal their bans.
Along with filling out a google form, banned users were vetted on stream by Asmongold himself, who carefully examined their chat logs as part of the appeal process.
One viewer had been banned for making a joke about Asmongold’s viewer count at the beginning of a stream. Asmongold unbanned the viewer, but took the opportunity to explain why he and his moderators do not appreciate discussions about viewership in the chat.
Asmongold expressed his dislike for people who criticize streamers’ viewer counts, calling it “cringe.” He believes that the excessive focus on view count discourages streamers from pursuing creative and unique content ideas.
In the past year, Asmongold has become one of the top 10 most-watched channels on Twitch. However, his success goes beyond simply streaming World of Warcraft-related content.
For many aspiring content creators, changing things up, like Asmongold does, can be challenging. Some smaller streamers are trying to build their viewership to become partnered, while others who are already partnered are attempting to turn their hobby into a full-time job.
Twitch trolls who constantly comment on viewer numbers make it even more daunting for these streamers to maintain and grow their viewership. This often leads to conservative stream planning and a reluctance to explore different types of content.
Asmongold believes that this obsession with viewer numbers is unhealthy for Twitch in multiple ways, but he plans to delve deeper into the topic through a video on YouTube or Twitter.