These are not easy times for the search for community. The age-old social networks of the family, neighborhood, and village community are disintegrating under the forces of urbanization and modernization. A conventional model of community-as-place and as a romanticized return to simpler times is not a viable option for those wanting to understand the urban condition of the 21st century. City dwellers yearn for a sense of collectivity and meaningful social relations but have become skeptical about the possibilities. Japanese sociologist Shunya Yoshimi describes the prevailing sentiment of city dwellers as one of “ambiguous pessimism,” overwhelmed by the rapid transformations in city space and modern life, and yet holding on to a latent desire for a better future. The search for new forms of community underlies this desire to make utopian visions a reality.
How do people construct community in an urban setting? What role do media technologies play in this process? This study considers these questions through an ethnographic examination of an Internet-based cultural community in Singapore. In this chapter, I introduce the reader to the broader issues at stake and clarify the specific objectives of this research.
Popular Niche Communities in Singapore
The gaming community in Singapore is rather huge. A simple search for ‘Singapore’ on Twitch will display a long list of channels where many of the streamers are Singaporeans. For some gamers, interacting with their Singaporean counterparts gives them a sense of familiarity and might make interaction more enjoyable compared to interacting with people from other countries. Aspiring local casters like Fosk and cohesion have also risen up within the Twitch community to do casting work for various games. A rather unique and interesting channel to check out would be SGAG, Singapore’s most popular online media company. They recently opened up a Twitch channel with the intention of engaging the younger demographic with podcasts, live game shows, and casual gaming sessions. By nature, Twitch is an international platform, and having a channel like SGAG is a rather new and innovative way for a local media company to engage the local audience.
Twitch is home to an abundance of niche communities that target particular groups of viewers. One such community is the Singaporean community on Twitch. A niche community refers to a group with interests in specific topics, and this is prevalent on Twitch. Singaporeans may prefer to interact with their fellow compatriots and share specific interests on certain topics. As such, there are many Singaporeans who may prefer to frequent channels with fellow Singaporeans to be able to enjoy speaking our local Singaporean English. Therefore, the various niche communities on Twitch would be most ideal for them. Given the large number of streamers and the unique nature of some communities, this article will look to explore only a small part of the community, focusing on 3 particularly unique communities in Singapore: Gaming, Food, and Fitness.
Gaming Live Streams
The appeal of gaming live streams is the level of viewer interaction. Viewers can provide direct feedback to the streamer about their gameplay and decisions through the chat function. In some instances, the streamer may play with a group of viewers or subscribers. This level of interactivity is not attainable through traditional gaming forums or social media, and it is what drives the formation of niche communities centered around gaming live streams. An example would be a guild or clan in an MMORPG organizing a private live stream as a means to train and share strategies amongst themselves.
Gaming is a widely popular pastime in Singapore among the youths and millennials. Singaporean youths are constantly on the lookout for the latest gaming trends and news. Most gaming communities are centered around internet forums and various social media platforms, and the information exchange is largely unidirectional. With the rise of live streaming Singapore websites, a new breed of gamers is emerging as influencers and content producers. They rely on live streaming Singapore as a way to connect with their viewers in a more personal way. These gaming live streams have garnered a substantial following in Singapore, taking the form of niche communities centered around specific games or groups of games.
Food and Cooking Live Streams
Since food is the one thing that ties everyone together, most Singaporeans flock to the various local food festivals, events, GRC live telecasts featuring different Members of Parliament trying (and hopefully failing) to get in touch with the younger demographic. It may be difficult to find a Singaporean who would be willing to fly all the way to Australia to watch a live cooking demonstration in an Australian mall, so special effort must be taken to notify Singaporeans that there will be such an event, and the value they can get out of it. Local chefs or chefs with TV shows can also organize live streaming sessions of their cooking of a certain dish to help promote an overseas tour or event. One very interested target demographic for cooking live streams would be working adults or housewives looking to prepare simple yet different meals for their families. Ingredients used during the live stream should be commonly found ones in local supermarkets, and should not cost more than dining out at an air-conditioned restaurant. Live streaming hosts can take this opportunity to show the process of cooking fusion dishes which integrate western and eastern cooking styles. At the end of the day, everyone gets to relax in their own environment, and the dish would have cost considerably less than the price of an international concert ticket.
Benefits of Specialized Live Streams in Singapore
The ability to interact with an expert through question and answers is the best way to obtain knowledge, and live streams provide an excellent platform for this to happen. In the case of an online art tutorial, a viewer can watch the artist’s work in real time and ask questions if he/she does not understand a certain technique. An example in gaming would be a player watching a competitive match of his favorite game with commentary from the match players. The viewer can learn the inside workings of the game and gain knowledge on game tactics the commentary provides. All this is done with minimal effort and maximum comfort, a great alternative to attending a real-time event.
The value of niche communities is found in their ability to bring together a group of people with similar interests and provide a platform for them to share knowledge and content related to their interests. Niche communities are usually tight-knit, and discussions are often more in-depth compared to mass communities. These are exactly the services a live stream can provide, an online platform for content sharing, done in real-time. Although live streaming has been a popular tool for content sharing in Western countries, it has yet to reach its full potential in Asia, particularly Singapore. With internet speeds and access to computers getting better and more affordable, there’s no better time than now for specialized live streams to make an impact, particularly in niche communities in Singapore.
Access to Expertise and Knowledge
Another concept by Steuer (1992) is that “interactivity is cyclical and continuous,” which implies that once initiated, the levels of interactivity may escalate. This would be especially true if the streamer’s resources were a scarce but valuable source of information. An extreme example would be a rare Pokemon spawn location in a game; it is expected that great numbers of viewers would inundate the streamer with queries, further increasing the levels of interactivity. This could potentially result in a flow of information as the viewers themselves start providing information they have obtained to the streamer, particularly if the streamer is seeking to maintain the interest of viewers in providing said information. A cycle of information exchange would occur herein. Background knowledge on niche communities would inform us that there are certain topics that traditional sources of information do not cover or are difficult to obtain, i.e., undocumented game mechanics in a new game. Live streaming of some gameplay and a starting discussion on the topic would be an ideal method of obtaining or spreading said information due to the use of real-time information exchange and the fact that it is less rigid compared to more formal information channels.
An additional benefit of using live streaming services is the exchange of knowledge and expertise from the provider to the viewers and vice versa. As live streaming is an interactive form of communication, the effectiveness in transferring or obtaining knowledge would be greatly amplified compared to static information sources such as books and articles. Bales (2000) states that “effective communication occurs when that message is interpreted and a response is made to that message that comes from the interpreted meaning.” YouTube live streams use tools such as chat, which allows two-way communication in real time, increasing the opportunity for effective communication. As the viewers are able to obtain real-time responses to their queries and either argue against or confirm what the streamer is saying, the opportunity to obtain a clearer understanding of complex concepts increases. An example of such a concept could be an amateur learning to play a musical instrument obtaining tips from people more experienced than themselves.
Community Building and Engagement
Community is one of the most important aspects of any society or culture, as it represents the relationships and interactions between individuals that can potentially develop into stronger bonds. Many traditions and cultures are based around the concept of community, and fostering a strong community can lead to a more fulfilling and meaningful way of life. However, in Singapore today, the notion of community is slowly breaking down, as the modern way of life with its hectic schedules often leaves people with little time to seek out new relationships and nurture old ones. The majority of Singaporeans today are caught up with their careers and studies, and the accompanying long working hours means that many simply do not have the time or energy to participate in social activities. The recent economic downturn has also resulted in a more competitive and self-centered society, with individuals less willing to share knowledge and help others. Further, many of the older generation with their nostalgic tales of close-knit communities and sharing are passing on, and there exists a danger that these stories will remain as nothing more than tales unless something is done to revive the spirit of community in Singapore.
Opportunities for Collaboration and Networking
Niche streamers are a closely knit community, and any conversation between two or more of us on the subject will often fall to ideas for collaboration. A new and entirely hypothetical Magic: The Gathering stream might lead me to a streamer doing video editing to come up with ideas for custom overlays, visual effects, or general video jazzing to enhance the stream. A digital artist could provide visual assets for the stream or something as simple as a card shop owner who now knows a suitable place to advertise their events. These sorts of collaborations can often lead to improved content for me as a streamer, the streamer I’m collaborating with, and their viewers, and sometimes even viewers of mine who are interested in what the other person has to offer. An example of this was including the artist of the below comic in a League of Legends community tournament that he ran. He would have had a harder job finding participants if not for my stream, and now those participants have a chance of being long-term viewers for me.
Personal Development and Skill Enhancement
In the gaming community scenario, a game is being played or discussed that involves some form of strategy or methodology. The streamer or viewer may have an ambition to improve at this game or learn something new. By simply taking the knowledge they have gained and applying it to their gaming experience, they are improving themselves at that particular task. This concept is similar to watching a live sports event; however, the interactivity between viewer and streamer allows specific questioning and analysis that will help the individual understand the topic at a much deeper level.
Developing niche skills and knowledge is one of the main reasons for an individual deciding to begin their exploration into a niche community. With regard to live streaming, the usual context is gaming or creative arts such as music and drawing. Often, viewers of these streams will dabble with the idea of streaming themselves to get an idea of what it’s like and potentially become part of the community or earn some income using the skills they have witnessed on stream. The direct contact an apprentice can have with an experienced streamer can be an invaluable form of learning and skill acquisition.
Challenges and Future Trends
Many challenges lie ahead for community live streaming in terms of sustainability and monetization. Currently, the start-up cost to begin streaming is low and the blogs and streams are self-satisfying for creators. Monetization via ads is very small and rare. There are a few accounts of popular bloggers getting sponsorships or media companies to advertise on their blogs. However, there is concern about whether the niche is able to really grow to a sustainable level with the amount of viewership capped. Due to the narrow focus of these blogs, their viewer populations are small and may not grow much in the future. Thus, with high competition and few getting large monetary returns, there could be oversaturation and a collapse in advertising effectiveness similar to what happened with the current blogging community. This could detract many potential streamers from starting in the first place. Overall, there needs to be development of more direct and consistent revenue streams. This includes more effectively matching advertisers with the right audience and perhaps creation of a marketplace for ad spots on channels. Another big issue is to create awareness of these blogs with the wider population in order to provide greater profitability and more consistent viewership. Often times, those that have come across community blogs do not stay fans for long periods of time, or do not find other blogs of similar interest. With the pattern of internet media moving towards on-demand streaming, many customers are less willing to set time aside to check blog or event schedules. This makes it hard to attract and retain a large audience over long periods. A way to counter this is through creating more engaging content and building a stronger sense of community via interaction between viewers and a social network analysis of the viewers of these channels.
Monetization and Sustainability
In regards to streaming communities that do aspire to something greater, Stonehouse posits that the “tiered nature of Twitch revenue sharing” and “other subscription-based services” could provide a more sustainable income for community leaders and their teams. Players of Twitch and viewers who wish to further support these services can register themselves for paid versions of these services. This could create a future where a game or community may have to become a paid service to survive, and it could limit exposure for communities without a strong enough viewer base. In a somewhat pessimistic view, Stonehouse recognized a future where “only the big names will make money”; however, this could provide a launching point for the semi-professional gaming community, and it has already allowed for the further monetization of mod developers and indie game producers.
Given that the majority of SLPS communities are run as passion projects by the streamers, many of them aspire to turn their once-side projects into something that could generate a stable income. One of the hurdles that SLPS community leaders face is fashioning a predictable income with channels that are seasonal, irregular or that have a small following. This can be off-putting for potential sponsors. Some students come across problems with managing the time dedicated to their channels with their studies or part-time jobs. While it would be a dream for them to have a career in gaming and streaming, the reality is that this career path would not provide a stable future or a sustainable income. This is a drawback that turns many students away from a career in gaming, and SLPS communities tend to reflect this trend. The support for gaming and the creation of gaming jobs may not only benefit the professional gaming community but also students looking for stable income in an industry that they are passionate about. By providing a launchpad for students into gaming and creating an industry, it is possible that SLPS communities may become more viable and beneficial to students in the future.
Maintaining Authenticity and Credibility
Greater interaction opens more channels for personal trust and through steady content and reliability, personal and content trust could grow simultaneously. PN2 admires an old-school streamer CohhCarnage who attempts to play new games and interview developers with the mindset that he is building a portfolio that could be useful in the gaming industry. Viewers know exactly what to expect from his broadcasts and PN2 uses him as a good example to illustrate how credibility is tied heavily to a streamer’s personal goals and passion – presently, larger streamers who are not in for the long haul will find it hard to build credibility if goals are not to build a long-term fanbase but to promote a short-term event.
Our theme on authenticity carried a lot of resonance as trustworthy content is greatly respected in Singapore’s media industry. Our informants think that the biggest advantage smaller niche streamers have over mass media content is the ability to form personal relationships with their viewers. This is made evident in the attitudes towards overseas content creators – our informants regularly choose to support local and regional streamers over larger overseas names. P1 stresses how these smaller streamers act as a ‘big brother’-like figure, responding personally to viewers’ queries and even offering life advice. P2 agrees, explaining an experience watching a Japanese cooking stream where the streamer went off-topic to help him troubleshoot a cooking problem. Viewer interaction was considered a huge highlight of the stream.
Emerging Technologies and Platforms
Faced with the issue of limited resources, niche streamers can explore the option of using mobile devices to further expand their streaming reach. With how advanced mobile technology is nowadays, streaming platforms would be easily accessible and portable for streaming content on the go. This could be as simple as streaming events at another location using a tablet or smartphone, or simply using a small GoPro camera to capture something that can be streamed. Mobile live streaming is still an area of growth, but with the wider availability of devices capable of Internet video streaming on the go, it is something niche communities can consider in the near future.
Another platform scheduled to launch in early 2016 is Spark, which aims to make content discovery more focused by connecting to a slew of existing platforms to aggregate live content into a single, easy-to-use interface. This will be beneficial for niche streamers as it provides a focused location for content viewing. A similar project would be Livestream.com’s Movi, a live event camera that lets you edit while you capture and stream, share videos through the website’s new video editing suite and publishing features. This makes for a more professional streaming venture as users can both live stream an event and have it stored for later access, as the editing tools can create a more refined and succinct upload.
Live streaming can be considered as a new media which has mainly been utilised by consumers, but now organisations are beginning to explore how they can better use the technology. Recently, a platform specially designed for organisations was launched, known as Livestream Organisation. Viewers can view content about that organisation in real time. There are also plans for viewer interactivity, and organisations will have to pay to have their specific channel to showcase their content. This could very well be the future of organisations’ live streaming in a focused, controlled format.
