Live Streaming: On-demand entertainment where we, the viewers, guide the narrative.
In the past few years we have seen an enormous evolution in how media is consumed. One of the most notable consequences has been the success story of Netflix, an on-demand media streaming platform that has changed the way we consume our TV shows and movies. No longer are we at the mercy of TV listing times but instead quality new media is at the ready 24/7. This was an enormous shift.
Recently, there have been signs to suggest that another significant shift is nearing. For many, the success of Youtube gamers such as Pewdiepie may have seemed baffling but there is clearly some underlying reason behind his success. That reason is content. Gamers can easily produce hours of high-quality content each and every day is they so choose and in a world of hyper-consumption of content, this puts gamers at a distinct advantage versus traditional TV show producers. So what happens when gamers become more than that, and develop an intriguing personality, storylines and whatever other properties of a TV show that we crave?
Pewdiepie is a good example of this as he has transitioned into more of a voice of satire and social commentary than he ever was a gamer. His fanbase are invested in his content moreso than they are in regular TV shows and the idea that he can pump out several hours of content each week quickly dwarfs the offerings of the likes of Game of Thrones. So what is Pewdiepie were to take this advantage one step further and develop the maximum amount of content possible, which is not actually that difficult when your content is born out of documenting and not necessarily being creative. What is Pewdiepie were to live stream his life every day?
Enter Ice Poseidon — a guinea pig for the Pewdiepie Youtube gamer model. Born out of a moderately successful Runescape streaming career on Youtube, Ice Poseidon is a quirky phenomenon that has taken Youtube by storm in recent months. His daily live-streaming of his adventurous walks around the various streets of LA and beyond have amassed him a sort of loyal cult following, but his soaring viewer and subscription counts suggest he is becoming more of a mainstream phenomenon that anyone could care to explain. So what is behind his success? Much like the Netflix revolution, there is a new shift in consumption taking place here. Not only is Ice Poseidon offering previously unfathomable amounts of new content each and every day, there is a depth to the content. Just like any TV series, there are conflicts, love interests, character development and countless subplots. There are even spin-off streamers whom Ice encountered and inspired at some point. What is more is that Ice engages with his users as he streams. They often make decisions as to how Ice should spend his day. Then they watch, converse and document the events that take place on various forums and wikis and the result is similar to a completely authentic TV show with new episodes released daily, where we, the viewers, can guide the narrative.
The future is not just on-demand, it’s real, interactive and unlimited. Ice Poseidon is just the beginning. Welcome to Netflix 2.0.