TwitchCon: Fans flock to first-ever video game live-streaming expo

Video gamers who live-stream their matches online and the throngs of fans who tune in daily to watch them swarmed a first-of-its kind convention in San Francisco, as interest swells in the medium of online video game broadcasting. Lyndon Lauder, 23, travelled from Montreal, Canada, in hopes of meeting his favourite player, Jaryd “summit1g” Lazar, who has attracted more than 1 million followers to his game broadcasting page. “If I see him, I’m just going to tackle him,” Lauder joked.

It’s what I like to watch and what I like to do.

Superfan Lyndon “LyndonFPS” Lauder

Gaming-focused conventions are nothing new, but TwitchCon 2015 is the first time fans, aspiring broadcasters and the virtual stars they watch will come together for a two-day conference dedicated solely to online game broadcasting. Exact numbers of how many players are able to make a career of game broadcasting are hard to pin down, but Twitch Vice President of Marketing Matthew DiPietro said “dozens” of people are earning six-figure salaries on Twitch, and more have turned it into full-time jobs. The growth of game broadcasting has coincided with a parallel surge in competitive gaming in the United States. In August, Seattle’s Key Arena was sold out for a video game tournament that featured an $18 million prize pool.

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