Heroes and Zeroes: Predicting the Impact of New Video Games on Twitch.tv

Abstract: Video games and the playing thereof have been a fixture of American culture since their introduction in the arcades of the 1980s. However, it was not until the recent proliferation of broadband connections robust and fast enough to handle live video streaming that players of video games have transitioned from a content consumer role to a content producer role. Simultaneously, the rise of social media has revealed how interpersonal connections drive user engagement and interest. In this work, we discuss the recent proliferation of video game streaming, particularly on Twitch.tv, analyze trends and patterns in video game viewing, and develop predictive models for determining if a new game will have substantial impact on the streaming ecosystem.