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'''Twitch Plays Pokémon''' (often abbreviated to '''TPP''') is a {{wp|Twitch.tv|Twitch}} channel known for streaming chat-controlled Pokémon games, usually through the use of emulators. Via Twitch's built-in chat, Twitch users can play the game being streamed by entering inputs such as "A", "B", "left", or "right". This streaming format is known as [https://www.twitch.tv/directory/game/Twitch%20Plays Twitch Plays], of which Twitch Plays Pokémon was the originator. The channel went live with a playthrough of {{game|Red and Blue|s|Pokémon Red}} on February 12, 2014 at 23:16:01 {{wp|Coordinated Universal Time|UTC}}, and received widespread media attention internationally for its chaotic nature and unique concept. The channel is notorious for its fan-generated lore, spawning thousands of stories, images, videos, and Internet memes. The stream is broken into seasons and runs of various Pokémon games, including ROM hacks and official games. A variety of content is broadcast between runs, most prominent of which are seasons of [[Pokémon Battle Revolution]] (referred to by TPP users as '''PBR'''). The channel will also stream playthroughs of other games, often not connected to Pokémon, during Intermissions. | '''Twitch Plays Pokémon''' (often abbreviated to '''TPP''') is a {{wp|Twitch.tv|Twitch}} channel known for streaming chat-controlled Pokémon games, usually through the use of emulators. Via Twitch's built-in chat, Twitch users can play the game being streamed by entering inputs such as "A", "B", "left", or "right". This streaming format is known as [https://www.twitch.tv/directory/game/Twitch%20Plays Twitch Plays], of which Twitch Plays Pokémon was the originator. The channel went live with a playthrough of {{game|Red and Blue|s|Pokémon Red}} on February 12, 2014 at 23:16:01 {{wp|Coordinated Universal Time|UTC}}, and received widespread media attention internationally for its chaotic nature and unique concept. The channel is notorious for its fan-generated lore, spawning thousands of stories, images, videos, and Internet memes. The stream is broken into seasons and runs of various Pokémon games, including ROM hacks and official games. A variety of content is broadcast between runs, most prominent of which are seasons of [[Pokémon Battle Revolution]] (referred to by TPP users as '''PBR'''). The channel will also stream playthroughs of other games, often not connected to Pokémon, during Intermissions. | ||
The channel had around 120,000 simultaneous viewers at its peak, with almost 36 million total views in the first run alone.<ref name="Victory Twitch Blog">[http://blog.twitch.tv/2014/03/twitch-prevails-at-pokemon/ TPP Victory! The Thundershock Heard Around the World - The Official Twitch Blog]</ref> It has received several [[#Awards|awards]], including a {{wp|Guinness World Record}}.<ref name="Guinness World Record">[http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-participants-on-a-single-player-online-videogame/ Most participants on a single-player online video game - Guinness World Records]</ref> After successful completion of the first run, the channel continued streaming other Pokémon games, | The channel had around 120,000 simultaneous viewers at its peak, with almost 36 million total views in the first run alone.<ref name="Victory Twitch Blog">[http://blog.twitch.tv/2014/03/twitch-prevails-at-pokemon/ TPP Victory! The Thundershock Heard Around the World - The Official Twitch Blog]</ref> It has received several [[#Awards|awards]], including a {{wp|Guinness World Record}}.<ref name="Guinness World Record">[http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-participants-on-a-single-player-online-videogame/ Most participants on a single-player online video game - Guinness World Records]</ref> After successful completion of the first run, the channel continued streaming other Pokémon games, and is intended to remain active as long as there is still interest in the channel. | ||
The stream celebrated 500 days of near-continuous running in June 2015 followed by 1,000 days in November 2016 and 1,500 days in March 2018. | The stream celebrated 500 days of near-continuous running in June 2015 followed by 1,000 days in November 2016 and 1,500 days in March 2018. | ||
==Origins and Staff== | |||
The original creator of the stream, TwitchPlaysPokemon, is a largely anonymous person, though he has revealed he is a male freelance programmer from Australia. He is referred to by the community as '''streamer''' or '''OG streamer'''/'''OG''' (for "original"). He was active on Reddit, and participated in a few media interviews. In 2017, he stepped down as channel host. He is occasionally seen in the Twitch chat, usually to perform maintenance on the channel itself, though he has stopped by simply to wish users in chat happy holidays or to comment on the game being played. | |||
The current streamer and host is Twitch user M4_used_rollout, also known as '''M4'''. M4 owns the physical equipment that runs the stream. His assistance is needed for issues with the hardware, or if there are gameplay sections that require finer inputs than can be provided by TPP's input system. In these cases, he may wind up playing sections of the game on its physical hardware as the chat watches. | |||
While M4 generally assists with software issues such as game freezes, these issues can also be fixed by a staff of volunteers known as '''operators''' or '''ops'''. The channel's community is entirely volunteer-run, in fact, from the chat moderation team to the programming team that oversees changes to the channel's version of Pokémon Battle Revolution. Some volunteers have even contributed to crafting ROM hacks unique to the channel itself. | |||
Twitch Plays Pokémon is often referred to as a 'social experiment', to see if it is possible to create order from complete chaos. Parallels have been drawn with {{wp|chaos theory}}<ref>[http://www.sparknotes.com/mindhut/2014/02/20/twitch-plays-pokemon-is-either-the-best-or-the-worst-thing-to-ever-come-out-of-the-internet "Twitch Plays Pokemon" is Either the Best or the Worst Thing to Ever Come Out of the Internet - SparkNotes]</ref> and the {{wp|infinite monkey theorem}},<ref>[http://www.thechiefly.com/culture/digital-notes/twitch-plays-pokemon-infinite-pokemon-theorem/ The Infinite Pokémon Theorem - The Chiefly]</ref> but since the latter would require completely random inputs the comparison remains speculative. | |||
==Format== | ==Format== | ||
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The control scheme varies depending on which platform is being used. For example, when playing games designed for the [[Game Boy]] or [[Game Boy Color]], only 8 commands (up, down, left, right, a, b, start and select) are accepted. When playing games designed for the [[Nintendo DS]] and [[Nintendo 3DS]], these commands are expanded to the touchscreen (users input with pairs of three-digit coordinates) and other controls, such as the 3DS's Circle Pad. The channel is currently able to play games on the [[Nintendo Switch]]. Users may check the current valid commands by typing !commands in the Twitch chat. | The control scheme varies depending on which platform is being used. For example, when playing games designed for the [[Game Boy]] or [[Game Boy Color]], only 8 commands (up, down, left, right, a, b, start and select) are accepted. When playing games designed for the [[Nintendo DS]] and [[Nintendo 3DS]], these commands are expanded to the touchscreen (users input with pairs of three-digit coordinates) and other controls, such as the 3DS's Circle Pad. The channel is currently able to play games on the [[Nintendo Switch]]. Users may check the current valid commands by typing !commands in the Twitch chat. | ||
By default, inputs are entered and accepted in a mode known as '''Anarchy'''. Anarchy is the mode the channel is best known for. In this mode, inputs are accepted as soon as the system receives them, in the order in which it was received. When Anarchy is enabled, user commands will be shown as a reverse-waterfall scroller situated to the right side the screen, with usernames being displayed alongside the command the user entered. Anarchy has a lesser-known mode known as '''Turbo''', wherein Commander will continually select last few inputs entered will continually be selected in a loop, rather than selecting inputs based on a first come, first serve basis. Turbo can presently only be enabled by the stream host. | ====Anarchy and Democracy==== | ||
Anarchy and Democracy are two modes that determine how inputs are recognized by Commander. By default, inputs are entered and accepted in a mode known as '''Anarchy'''. Anarchy is the mode the channel is best known for. In this mode, inputs are accepted as soon as the system receives them, in the order in which it was received. When Anarchy is enabled, user commands will be shown as a reverse-waterfall scroller situated to the right side the screen, with usernames being displayed alongside the command the user entered. Anarchy has a lesser-known mode known as '''Turbo''', wherein Commander will continually select last few inputs entered will continually be selected in a loop, rather than selecting inputs based on a first come, first serve basis. Turbo can presently only be enabled by the stream host. | |||
In addition to Anarchy and Turbo, there is an additional mode known as '''Democracy''' which users can vote to enable in chat. This mode will be activated after a certain number of unique users have entered the command "democracy" in chat. In Democracy, only the input with the highest number of votes in a given timespan will be selected. The input display on screen will also change, now showing the users who have voted for an input, with a three-bar chart at the top of the screen showing which inputs are in the lead. Up to nine simultaneous commands can be entered in Democracy, as opposed to the maximum three for Anarchy. For example, the input a9 will result in the "a" button being pressed nine times. This can be combined with a variety of other inputs so long as the total number of button presses is 9. Anarchy can be re-enabled the same way Democracy is enabled, by having enough users vote "anarchy" in chat. | In addition to Anarchy and Turbo, there is an additional mode known as '''Democracy''' which users can vote to enable in chat. This mode will be activated after a certain number of unique users have entered the command "democracy" in chat. In Democracy, only the input with the highest number of votes in a given timespan will be selected. The input display on screen will also change, now showing the users who have voted for an input, with a three-bar chart at the top of the screen showing which inputs are in the lead. Up to nine simultaneous commands can be entered in Democracy, as opposed to the maximum three for Anarchy. For example, the input a9 will result in the "a" button being pressed nine times. This can be combined with a variety of other inputs so long as the total number of button presses is 9. Anarchy can be re-enabled the same way Democracy is enabled, by having enough users vote "anarchy" in chat. | ||
Both Anarchy and Democracy have their advantages and disadvantages, and are often a source of controversy in the community as to which system "should" be used. Generally speaking, Anarchy is ideal for situations that require speed, such as the Noble Pokémon battles of Arceus. Democracy is optimal for situations that require finer control, such as navigating through menus | Both Anarchy and Democracy have their advantages and disadvantages, and are often a source of controversy in the community as to which system "should" be used. Generally speaking, Anarchy is ideal for situations that require speed, such as the [[Noble Pokémon]] battles of [[Pokémon Legends: Arceus]]. Democracy is optimal for situations that require finer control, such as navigating through menus. | ||
===Pokémon Battle Revolution=== | ===Pokémon Battle Revolution=== | ||
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====Sidegame==== | ====Sidegame==== | ||
[[File:TPP Vietnamese Crystal screenshot.png|thumb|250px|The host (nicknamed 'Baba') competing in [[Blackthorn Gym]] in the Vietnamese Crystal]] | [[File:TPP Vietnamese Crystal screenshot.png|thumb|250px|The host (nicknamed 'Baba') competing in [[Blackthorn Gym]] in the Vietnamese Crystal]] | ||
Sidegame is a currently disabled feature of PBR seasons. Starting after the conclusion of the first run of [[Twitch Plays Pokémon/Season 2|Season 2]] (known as [[Twitch Plays Pokémon/Season 2#R01: Anniversary Red|Anniversary Red Version]] by fans), a run of the [[ROM hacks#Pokémon Vietnamese Crystal|Pokémon Vietnamese Crystal]] [[ROM hacks|ROM hack]] was started as filler in between betting matches. Chat commands operated similarly to Democracy, where the command with the highest number of | Sidegame is a currently disabled feature of PBR seasons. Starting after the conclusion of the first run of [[Twitch Plays Pokémon/Season 2|Season 2]] (known as [[Twitch Plays Pokémon/Season 2#R01: Anniversary Red|Anniversary Red Version]] by fans), a run of the [[ROM hacks#Pokémon Vietnamese Crystal|Pokémon Vietnamese Crystal]] [[ROM hacks|ROM hack]] was started as filler in between betting matches. Chat commands operated similarly to Democracy, where the command with the highest number of votes would be selected. Unlike Democracy, however, players were able to vote for only one command at a time, after which the game was paused and only resumed after the next betting match. At the end of each vote, a player was randomly selected to receive a token. Players also could choose to donate tokens to a pool, increasing the number of tokens distributed after an input was selected. This was nicknamed a 'token storm'. | ||
After the completion of Pokémon Vietnamese Crystal, a run of [[Pokémon Trading Card Game (game)|Pokémon Trading Card Game]] was started in its place with the same format. This was changed to an intermission game in the run-up to [[Twitch Plays Pokémon/Season 3|Season 3]], and completed just before the season began. | After the completion of Pokémon Vietnamese Crystal, a run of [[Pokémon Trading Card Game (video game)|Pokémon Trading Card Game]] was started in its place with the same format. This was changed to an intermission game in the run-up to [[Twitch Plays Pokémon/Season 3|Season 3]], and completed just before the season began. | ||
Starting with Season 3, the sidegame underwent a major change. Instead of voting between and being paused during matches, the sidegame ran in the lower-right of the screen. Players voted through the Twitch private chat system (known as Whispers), and the command with the most votes were executed every 240 seconds. Token giveaways were retired for token bribes, whereby a player would offer their tokens as incentive for other players to vote for a command of their choosing. A new sidegame, [[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team|Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team]], was started with this new system. At some point, however, the sidegame system reverted to its old format. | Starting with Season 3, the sidegame underwent a major change. Instead of voting between and being paused during matches, the sidegame ran in the lower-right of the screen. Players voted through the Twitch private chat system (known as Whispers), and the command with the most votes were executed every 240 seconds. Token giveaways were retired for token bribes, whereby a player would offer their tokens as incentive for other players to vote for a command of their choosing. A new sidegame, [[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team|Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team]], was started with this new system. At some point, however, the sidegame system reverted to its old format. | ||
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===Intermission=== | ===Intermission=== | ||
Before a run or between PBR seasons, the channel will stream playthroughs of various games, many of which are from franchises not linked to Pokémon. Early games visited by the channel included Catz, Mario Party, Doom, and Worms. It was speculated that these games were introduced as a field test of new inputting systems before new runs began; however, they are now a regular part of the channel's lineup. Turn-based RPGs and visual novels are favored during these intermissions due to their similar gameplay to mainline Pokémon games, while action oriented games like | Before a run or between PBR seasons, the channel will stream playthroughs of various games, many of which are from franchises not linked to Pokémon. Early games visited by the channel included Catz, Mario Party, Doom, and Worms. It was speculated that these games were introduced as a field test of new inputting systems before new runs began; however, they are now a regular part of the channel's lineup. Turn-based RPGs and visual novels are favored during these intermissions due to their similar gameplay to mainline Pokémon games, while action oriented games like Breath of the Wild are considered "unplayable". | ||
Intermissions usually occur prior to a run and tend to be played on the same system as the upcoming run's game. For example, Dragon Quest XI S was played prior to the stream's [[Pokémon Brilliant Diamond]] run, as both are Nintendo Switch games. Similarly, a variety of Wii U games were played prior to the stream's playthrough of [[Pokkén Tournament]]. If a game is not completed during an intermission, or a substantial amount of content remains to be done even after beating the game's final boss, the game may be revisited at a later time. While it is common for intermissions to feature games not connected to Pokémon, they may at times feature short Pokémon ROM hacks (particularly during or after Holiday themed PBR seasons), or official games that have not been played to completion or 100% (such as [[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX]] or [[New Pokémon Snap]]). The stream may also broadcast AI controlled matches of Mario Party games, which users can bet on using Twitch Channel Points. | |||
===Donations and subscriptions=== | |||
As well as Twitch's standard channel subscription model and space for commercial advertising, the channel also accepts independent donations to help its upkeep. Donators are rewarded in-stream with tokens, with the equivalent of one US dollar equaling one token. Every time a donation is received, a banner is displayed with an animation (using sound effects from the Pikachu kickback in [[Pokémon Pinball]]) counting up the amount donated. If the donation is over a certain amount, the donator can display a custom message onscreen. | |||
Subscribers are rewarded with an icon displayed next to their name onscreen, a "welcome back" message whenever they log in, access to a set of exclusive chat emotes and an increase in the minimum amount of in-stream currency they can have (it will not drop below {{PDollar}}500, as opposed to {{PDollar}}100 for normal users). | |||
Donation and subscription banners are displayed in both runs and betting intermissions. | |||
==Impact== | |||
[[File:TPP TwitchCon Video.png|thumb|250px|A video produced by Twitch for TwitchCon 2015, featuring a protagonist trekking through forests and deserts to find the [[Helix Fossil]]]] | |||
The success of Twitch Plays Pokémon’s first season has had a notable impact outside of the stream. Though its parent site Twitch had been known amongst gamers for some time, international media coverage of Twitch Plays Pokémon introduced the platform to thousands of new users; the stream’s community-based roots demonstrating how versatile Twitch could be. Responding to the surprise success of the stream, Twitch's VP of marketing Matthew DiPietro wrote "This is one more example of how video games have become a platform for entertainment and creativity that extends WAY beyond the original intent of the game creator. By merging a video game, live video and a participatory experience, the broadcaster has created an entertainment hybrid custom made for the Twitch community. This is a wonderful proof on concept that we hope to see more of in the future."<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/articles/over-60k-people-watching-twitch-play-pokemon-update/1100-6417762/ Over 60k people watching Twitch play Pokemon - GameSpot]</ref> | |||
The exposure the stream brought helped launch the platform into the "mainstream" (sometimes called the "CNN moment"), becoming the defacto standard in video game streaming used by gamers and major games publishers alike. Its rapid expansion was also seen as the catalyst for Google to launch its competing platform, YouTube Gaming. Twitch’s staff have praised and thanked both the stream and its community numerous times for their achievements,<ref name="Victory Twitch Blog" /> and presented it with the Innovation Award at the first TwitchCon event in 2015.<ref name="TwitchCon 2015 Award">[https://redd.it/3mjafg Twitchplayspokemon won Most Innovative Award at TwitchCon! - Reddit]</ref><!--For lack of a better reference - please change if Twitch actually posts the winners as a results page--> | |||
The concept of the stream has influenced live game streaming as a whole, inspiring a number of imitations using similar formats. Notable examples include Fish Plays Pokémon, Twitch Plays Darksouls and Twitch Plays Old Spice, the latter used as a promotional campaign giving users control over an actual person. The stream was acknowledged for having devised and popularised the “Crowd Playing” genre, with its success enough for Twitch to create a whole new category to encompass similar streams.<ref name="TwitchPlays Genre Announcement">[http://blog.twitch.tv/2016/01/twitchplays-game/ Announcing the "Twitch Plays" Game Category - The Official Twitch Blog]</ref> | |||
===Official acknowledgement=== | |||
[[File:TPP 2014 World Championships Reference.png|thumb|250px|The channel's name was used as a redemption code during the [[2014 World Championships]]]] | |||
Twitch Plays Pokémon has arguably had an impact on [[Pokémon]] as a whole by introducing new users to the games as well as rekindling interest from older fans. While it is yet to be specifically acknowledged by [[Nintendo]], [[Game Freak]], or [[The Pokémon Company]], the channel has been referenced by regional parts of the Pokémon group. The channel's name was used as a [[Pokémon Trading Card Game Online|TCGO]] redemption code during the [[2014 World Championships|2014 Pokémon World Championships]], enabling up to 10,000 players to redeem the [[Furious Fists (TCG)|Furious Fists]] [[Booster pack (TCG)|booster pack]]. A direct reference also exists in the French language version of [[Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]]; before being battled, [[Brawly]] says, "J'ai découvert le secret de la vraie puissance en fixant un [[Helix Fossil|Nautile]] pendant des jours et des jours..." (English: "I discovered the secret of true power by staring at a Helix Fossil for days and days..."), [[List of references to popular culture in Pokémon|referencing]] the popular meme in the first run. A further potential reference is seen in [[Mr. Stone]]'s [[Devon Corporation]] office in the same games, in which the player receives the [[Pidgeotite]] [[Mega Stone]] with a framed portrait of an {{p|Omanyte}} in the same room, possibly referencing the stream's Bird Jesus character (a {{p|Pidgeot}} who represented the Omanyte god). | |||
Game Freak's official Facebook page made a potential reference to the stream on February 11, 2016 (one day before the stream's two-year anniversary), posting about {{game|Red and Green|s}}'s then-upcoming [[Virtual Console]] release but accompanying the post with large artwork of {{p|Omanyte}}.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/gamefreak.official/posts/847916635335000 赤緑の思い出 ～若手編⑦ - Game Freak Official Facebook Page]</ref> | |||
On February 27, 2016 (the 20th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise), The Pokémon Company International ran a 24-hour livestream of the [[Pokémon anime]] on a Twitch channel titled [http://www.twitch.tv/twitchwatchespokemon Twitch Watches Pokémon!]. | |||
On March 1, 2023, the official Pokémon TikTok account tweeted a video with the caption "Rate this team", with the video displaying a [[Hall of Fame]] entry of the original team that cleared the first Twitch Plays Pokémon playthrough.<ref>[https://www.tiktok.com/@pokemonofficial/video/7205670319602928942?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7182628232152532526 Post by @pokemonofficial on TikTok]</ref> The same video was posted to the official Pokémon Twitter account.<ref>[https://twitter.com/Pokemon/status/1631025805445791745?s=20/ Tweet by @Pokemon on Twitter]</ref> | |||
==Awards== | |||
{| class="roundy" style="border:3px solid #999; background: #ccc; text-align:left" | |||
! style="background: #D6ADFF; {{roundytl|5px}}"| Award | |||
! style="background: #D6ADFF;" | Type/Ceremony | |||
! style="background: #D6ADFF; {{roundytr|5px}}" | Date | |||
|- style="background:#FFF; padding:5px;" | |||
| Most Participants on a Single Player Online Videogame<ref name="Guinness World Record" /> | |||
| {{wp|Guinness World Record}} | |||
| March 2014 | |||
|- style="background:#FFF" | |||
| Best Fan Creation<ref>[http://www.polygon.com/2014/12/5/7343105/the-game-awards-2014-winners Here are the winners of The Game Awards 2014 - Polygon]</ref> | |||
| {{wp|The Game Awards}} | |||
| December 2014 | |||
|- style="background:#FFF" | |||
| Innovation Award<ref name="TwitchCon 2015 Award" /> | |||
| TwitchCon | |||
| September 2015 | |||
|} | |||
== | ==Culture== | ||
Twitch Plays Pokémon has a dynamic and vibrant community unique unto itself, with its own in-jokes and customs. It has been noted for its fast-flowing and chaotic nature as well as its high levels of creativity. Interaction between community members is mainly concentrated in the stream’s chatroom and Reddit site (known as a "subreddit"). Though the community has downsized considerably since the first season, a smaller group of enthusiasts continue to actively support the stream and generate new content. | |||
===Community=== | |||
[[File:TPP Subreddit.png|thumb|250px|The Twitch Plays Pokémon subreddit - a main community gathering point]] | |||
Keeping in step with the channel’s original concept, Twitch Plays Pokémon's community tends to have a largely decentralised approach to community hubs. There is no single location dedicated to all aspects of the stream; it is instead shared by multiple websites ranging from platforms such as Google Sites or Wikia to entirely fan-created websites. | |||
Apart from the stream's Twitch channel page and chatroom, there are no other locations that are considered "official" to the channel. However, several of the more popular hubs do act as the community’s main location to gather; the Twitch Plays Pokémon Reddit site being a prime example as the closest analogy to the stream's official discussion forum. Documenting the channel’s events, lore and statistics is split over multiple sites and contributed to by the community; examples include the stream’s TV Tropes page, Helixpedia (a Wikia-hosted wiki encyclopedia) and even this [[Bulbapedia]] page. Video and screen captures of the stream are often taken by members of the community and posted on sites like YouTube. This has been expanded upon with sophisticated capturing systems designed to automatically record and upload video of the stream in very high quality;<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCskjCXK_u4EvFvXiPgezsEw Twitch Plays Pokémon Capture Bot - An automated high-quality system, created by the community, designed to capture and upload video from the stream]</ref> community members have even set up dedicated computers to perform these tasks. | |||
== | ===Strategy=== | ||
[[File:TPP Strategy Example.png|thumb|200px|An example of a map posted by community members to aid in-game progress, showing a superimposed route and the commands required to navigate it correctly.]] | |||
Players will often use community channels to propose plans, strategies and tips in order to progress in the current run. These are sometimes referred to as "operations" (although this term has since expanded to include community creative collaborations). For example, if a certain [[Gym Leader]] is causing problems, a plan may be proposed on how best to deal with them. If a certain map is proving tricky to navigate, a player may post a full map of the area for easy reference, sometimes with a proposed route superimposed over it. Whether a proposed plan is carried out or not is dependent on how popular it is with other players, as well as how much publicity the plan gets. Sometimes, conflicting plans may be proposed with players siding to the plan of their preference; generally speaking in these situations, the plan with the most amount of support is the one that is carried out. It should be noted that not all plans are proposed as formally as this; an idea simply proposed in the chat, even if originally intended as a joke, may take hold. A plan may also not be executed fully; players can quite easily change their minds en masse part-way through. | |||
Execution of strategies and other forms of co-ordination are sometimes performed by certain key players, known in the community as '''chat leaders'''. They indicate to the chat which command to use at a given time in order to progress, and often identify themselves by using an emoticon prior to any message they post. Chat leaders are not in control of the chat, nor do they have any influence over the commands in an official capacity, but are often utilized by other players to co-ordinate and progress in particular parts of the game. The effectiveness of a chat leader is entirely dependent on the mix of players who are online at the time and whether or not they choose to follow the suggestions that are posted. | |||
===Lore=== | |||
[[File:Lord Helix Hieroglyphics.png|thumb|150px|Fan art depicting Twitch Plays Pokémon lore]] | |||
Lore and fan creations are considered an essential part of the culture surrounding the stream. The unpredictable and chaotic nature of the game often causes viewers to make connections and create stories based on the events that unfold. The input commands are often interpreted as "The Voices", often characterized by {{p|Unown}}, which only the player character (known as "The Host") can hear. The character's erratic movement and unpredictable decisions is often used to humorous effect, particularly in animated movies. | |||
Character names are sometimes romanized versions or interpretations of their in-game nickname. For example, a {{p|Pidgeot}} on RED's team in the original run named "aaabaaajss" was translated as "Bird Jesus". Other characters were created in response to freak events. For example, the [[Helix Fossil]], somehow at the top of the [[Item]] list was inferred as some kind of consultation in hardship, as since it was in the first item slot it was constantly being selected. This was compounded when the fossil was revived at the [[Cinnabar Lab|Pokémon Lab]]; fans interpreted this as a 'resurrection', transforming the character into a kind of god. Other pivotal characters, such as the False Prophet (a {{p|Flareon}} 'blamed' by players for the unintentional release of a number of Pokémon, including the run's [[first partner Pokémon]]), were created in similar ways. Lore is still created today under similar circumstances. | |||
Generally speaking there is no fixed canon, with fans free to interpret different lore, events and characters however they choose. The vast majority of creativity tends to happen off the main stream in the channel-focused community hubs, such as the stream's Reddit page and DeviantArt group. | |||
==Seasons and runs== | ==Seasons and runs== | ||
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|- style="background:#FFF" | |- style="background:#FFF" | ||
| 2 | | 2 | ||
| [[Pokémon Trading Card Game (game)|Pokémon Trading Card Game]] | | [[Pokémon Trading Card Game (video game)|Pokémon Trading Card Game]] | ||
| December 21, 2015 | | December 21, 2015 | ||
| {{tt|February 13, 2016|Changed to an intermission game on February 6 and ran simultaneously with SG03}} | | {{tt|February 13, 2016|Changed to an intermission game on February 6 and ran simultaneously with SG03}} | ||
| Line 455: | Line 508: | ||
{{main|Twitch Plays Pokémon/Season 4|Twitch Plays Pokémon: Season 4}}--> | {{main|Twitch Plays Pokémon/Season 4|Twitch Plays Pokémon: Season 4}}--> | ||
== | ==Trivia== | ||
* Several members of the channel's staff are associated with specific Pokémon. For example, the channel's creator is associated with [[Slowpoke]]. | |||
** The channel's current streamer and host, M4_used_rollout, is associated with [[Azumarill]]. This is because his username references [[Twitch Plays Pokémon/Season 1#Pokémon 3|the runmon M ---/'/'4]], an Azumarill from the channel's [[Pokémon Emerald]] run. | |||
* The stream broadcast almost always has the channel's name located at the top of the screen. The appearance of this logo may change, however, depending on the time of year, and on what is being played. When a Pokémon game is not being played, the word "Pokémon" will be crossed out where the channel's name is displayed. During Halloween seasons of PBR and Halloween-themed intermissions, the "T" in the logo will be crossed out (e.g. "witch Plays Pokémon"), with the remaining letters colored alternatingly in purple and orange. | |||
| | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||