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TwitchCon 2019: A Look at the Rebranded Livestreaming Service and Some Advice on Conventions

The Livestreaming Service Keeps Itself at #1




Twitch has demonstrated again that they're the king of livestreaming video games. In the wake of a lot of negativity surrounding the platform, especially when it comes to upholding their Terms of Service, Amazon has the capability of pulling their platform out of infamy to revival. TwitchCon 2019 was the best convention yet, even better than the first time the livestreaming service was in San Diego. And what's better is they're returning to San Diego again, likely to step their game up. Here are some highlights that happened to me and others.

I had the extremely lucky chance to meet Pokimane, a hugely popular streamer (and unbelievably gorgeous woman) that gave an entire crowd of people pizza and some select few (including myself) her own branded jackets. That was probably one of the greatest moments of TwitchCon yet, although I felt a little bad because a lot of people wanted to get pictures with her and she didn't want to stay around for very long.

Some excellent photo-op moments, including Totino's Pizza Rolls and Hyper-X's throne of keys.




And of course, running across some more notable people.


CrashKoeck who is extremely knowledgable on extreme streaming details.


Slyvinlisha whose hair is just glorious.


I was BOOPED by KEEBZ!


JessyQuil, very smart woman, with a photobomb by Lobo and Jeff #1!

WShand who brings the LULZ.

Why Twitch Sticks to the #1 Livestreaming Service Platform

I think the strongest reason why Twitch remains in the top spot is because of its branding. Someone put an absolute ton of time and research into branding guidelines, and it shows. When a corporation like that suffers a lot of negative press in the wake of inconsistent livestreaming platform Terms of Service enforcement, streamers literally breaking laws and invading privacy, and some unsightly moments of clothing revealing far too much, it's important to hit your target audience with a rebranding. A slightly different tint to their "glitch purple," a bolder logo, and some more inspiring phrases really hit home. Twitch is in the top spot because they have some of the most intelligent people behind the platform.

With that said, TwitchCon 2019 didn't go smoothly for everyone. Conventions are extremely fun, but they can also be trying and scary at times. Here's some advice in regards to conventions.

Convention Advice

If you've never been to a convention, especially for a livestreaming service, I highly recommend doing so if you have the time and money. However, there's always the question of safety, health, and money at a con, so here are some tips I'll provide. Or, if you'd like a comprehensive guide on livestreaming, check out my twitch streaming article. Or read about streaming video games as a business.

Expenses

Cons are never cheap. I can almost guarantee you that whatever you budget for a convention will almost double due to unseen finances. For instance, Twitchcon Long Beach I had my car towed because I parked in a community parking lot and didn't realize it (a much longer story). I had to drop a lovely 300 dollars to get my car back along with the Uber drive to Los Alamitos. To add salt to that wound, I lost a 60 dollar battery block for my phone that I had just purchased a few days before. Plus, the most convenient food sources will usually charge 15-20 dollars for food, unless you get some food at a local grocer or something. Cons are never cheap. Budget high.

Health

Cons are absolutely in love with nootropics, energy supplements, and caffeine. I cannot stress this enough, but avoid all of it. If you're looking for energy, look no further than water and fruit. My first convention on an assignment I was sweating balls and near collapse after consuming so much "energy" crap that I realized I was consuming the wrong ingredients. If you're at a livestreaming event for video games, feel free to sample and try out a few of the drinks that they push, but I would never rely on them at a convention. They'll drain you far too quickly.

Safety

Cons are not without their problems of security and safety. A lot more happens than you realize under the roof of a convention, but most of it is kept quiet because they don't want people too concerned about everything. I'm reminded of a time at E3 when 7 security guards were absolutely booking it towards some unknown destination. The urge to follow them was definitely strong, but so was my voice of reason. I didn't bother with business that wasn't mine.

This Twitchcon, someone suffered an unfortunate fate and drank something that was highly toxic to their system. They had to be rushed to the hospital because of it. I'm not aware of the circumstances surrounding the incident, but Anne Munition tweeted out about the exact same problem at the Twitchcon party.


A proper party would have had drinks behind bars or sealed. That party was definitely not proper. I went to a party with an open bar and recognized a drink was sitting out without a taker. I even recommended to the bartender to toss it immediately since the incident happened.

If you see something, say something. Remember that.

Unfortunately, cons drain me to the bone. They're extremely fun and I would recommend them to absolutely anyone going, but personally on the third day for any con (especially with loud music bumping until 3 AM in the Gaslight District) I can barely walk. Cons are often two-sided to me--opportunities to meet people I've watched for years, experiences I'd never have otherwise, and a chance to network with people--but at a very big drawback. I'm usually stressed to hell, and walking for several hours tends to get painful for me. They're definitely bittersweet, but I wouldn't give that up for anything.

Feel free to catch my stream on the weekends, 5 PM PST. Thanks!


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