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Twitch Plays Pokémon: Difference between revisions

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Twitch Plays Pokémon (view source)

Revision as of 03:09, 5 February 2022

2 bytes added ,  5 February 2022
just moving the seasons to the bottom so the little tidbits like lore and the like are more accessible. generally information like this tends to be placed at the bottom of the page, anyway, likely due to size. i've informed other tppers abt this page needing to be update so hopefully one of them gets to updating the seasons >.< that i can't do rn
(just moving the seasons to the bottom so the little tidbits like lore and the like are more accessible. generally information like this tends to be placed at the bottom of the page, anyway, likely due to size. i've informed other tppers abt this page needing to be update so hopefully one of them gets to updating the seasons >.< that i can't do rn)
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Donation and subscription banners are displayed in both runs and betting intermissions.
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 translation of [[Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]]; before being battled, [[Brawly]] says, "{{tt|J'ai découvert le secret de la vraie puissance en fixant un [[Helix Fossil|Nautile]] pendant des jours et des jours...|I discovered the secret of true power by staring at a Helix Fossil for days and days...}}", 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. Fans see it as a veiled referral to the stream’s Bird Jesus character (a {{p|Pidgeot}} who represented the Omanyte god), since Pidgeot is not knowingly associated with Mr. Stone, Devon Corporation, or [[fossil]]s in any other context. This association remains unconfirmed, however.
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 a 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-livestream of the Pokémon anime on a Twitch channel titled [http://www.twitch.tv/twitchwatchespokemon Twitch Watches Pokémon!].
==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 dependant on how popular it is with other players, as well as how exposed it is those players. 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 utilised by other players to co-ordinate and progress in particular parts of the game. The effectiveness of a chat leader is entirely dependant 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 {{pkmn2|starter}}), 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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===Season 4===
===Season 4===
{{main|Twitch Plays Pokémon/Season 4|Twitch Plays Pokémon: Season 4}}-->
{{main|Twitch Plays Pokémon/Season 4|Twitch Plays Pokémon: Season 4}}-->
==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 translation of [[Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]]; before being battled, [[Brawly]] says, "{{tt|J'ai découvert le secret de la vraie puissance en fixant un [[Helix Fossil|Nautile]] pendant des jours et des jours...|I discovered the secret of true power by staring at a Helix Fossil for days and days...}}", 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. Fans see it as a veiled referral to the stream’s Bird Jesus character (a {{p|Pidgeot}} who represented the Omanyte god), since Pidgeot is not knowingly associated with Mr. Stone, Devon Corporation, or [[fossil]]s in any other context. This association remains unconfirmed, however.
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 a 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-livestream of the Pokémon anime on a Twitch channel titled [http://www.twitch.tv/twitchwatchespokemon Twitch Watches Pokémon!].
==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 dependant on how popular it is with other players, as well as how exposed it is those players. 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 utilised by other players to co-ordinate and progress in particular parts of the game. The effectiveness of a chat leader is entirely dependant 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 {{pkmn2|starter}}), 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.


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
Retrieved from "https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Special:MobileDiff/3471553"