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TwitchCon felt positive for the first time in a while, one streamer said, but ‘we are positive we don’t want TwitchCon to be in Vegas again.’
Compared to the shitshow that live down last year , TwitchCon Las Vegas was largely a success . The trouble ? Nobody liked Las Vegas .
This year ’s TwitchCon appear to extenuate last yr ’s crowding issues and concluded without anyfoam pit tragedies . Thefraught relationship between Twitch and its streamersis on the mend after the company launch the effect by announce that itnow allows simulcasting , so that streamer can stream on multiple other platforms at the same clip . attender rave about the overall positive energy at the convention , postingthat it “ actually experience like Twitch is back . ” Livestreaming competitor Kick“haunted ” TwitchConwith its nearby gaming waiting room , but that did n’t put a muffler on TwitchCon ’s right vibes . There was even agay engagement onstage !
I ca n’t think I pulled this off 😆 what an awesome moment I will remember always . give thanks you Twitch 💜 https://t.co/Jx0k0Q2OsZ
— Lowco ( @LowcoTV)October 20 , 2023
The generally positive consensus come after a tense twelvemonth for Twitch , punctuated byrounds of layoffsandunpopular policy changes . Dan Clancy , who had served as the company ’s President of the United States since 2019,took the reinsfrom Twitch co - beginner Emmett Shear earlier this year , ending Shear ’s 16 - twelvemonth tenure as CEO . Clancy ’s leading was ab initio met with trepidation ; after meeting him at TwitchCon last year , banner Jakenbakedescribedhim as “ out of touch with what streamers require and want . ”
Clancy appears to have made it up to the streamer community in clip for this year ’s event . Lowco , the streamer who purpose to her girlfriend onstage during TwitchCon ’s opening ceremony , praised Twitch for improving its communicating and transparency , and enjoin TechCrunch that Clancy pursue with pennon all weekend . To run Twitch , she sound out , “ you really need to empathise the civilisation . ”
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“ There ’s a reigniting feeling that we as creators are being pick up and can be a part of Twitch ’s decision making process , ” Lowco told TechCrunch . “ Dan Clancy ’s bearing this year made a wondrous impingement on the atmosphere . He was everywhere , taking characterisation , listening to creators , IRL streaming and truly being part of the TwitchCon experience . ”
But it would n’t be TwitchCon without some grumble . Though attendee say Twitch itself had improve , many convey frustration about the consequence ’s positioning . The convention guide place on the Las Vegas Strip , an expanse that ’s expensive , not walkable and miss place to nonchalantly pay heed out with other streamers .
“ I think most of us match TwitchCon Vegas feel very irrefutable in a way that has n’t been mat in some time , ” Lowcoposted on X ( formerly Twitter ) . “ But also we are positive we do n’t want TwitchCon to be in Vegas again . Lol . ”
It ’s the first North American TwitchCon to be held outside of California since Twitch ’s maiden normal in 2015 . Las Vegas may be able to physically accommodate such a large issue , but many TwitchCon attendees complain that it lacks the infrastructure to foster the community engagement that Twitch orbit around . day hangouts outside of the normal center were challenging ; space that do n’t revolve around imbibing or gaming are scarce on the Strip , and if they do live , they ’re too far from the rule center to promptly visit .
“ The convention kernel in Vegas was solid but the metropolis had way too much operate on , ” Lowco added . “ We do n’t postulate the distractions of Vegas , there ’s enough for us to do . Vegas had the community carve up all over the city , which is not commodious to get around . ”
frankly yeah . The psotive vibes were dead amazing but PLEASE NOT VEGAS AGAIN.SEATLE . NATIONAL HARBOR . ANYTHING BUT VEGAShttps://t.co/G3eYWwFme5
— Redclaw 🦖 👑 DinoVtuber ( @RedclawDraws)October 24 , 2023
Rachel Delphin , chief marketing officeholder at Twitch , confirmed to TechCrunch that next year ’s convention will not be in Las Vegas , but could n’t give away where it would wind up . Twitch hosts two rule every year : one in Europe and one in North America . TwitchCon Europe has exact position in Berlin , Amsterdam and , most recently , Paris . Twitch has hosted its North American events throughout California , including in San Jose , Long Beach and San Diego .
To its credit , Twitch is receptive to residential area feedback , and has had to dramatically scale up its conventions as the platform ’s usershipskyrocketedsince the pandemic begin in 2020 . Attendees complained that last twelvemonth ’s event , which was the first normal that Twitch hosted in North America in nearly three years , was overcrowded and poorly put down out . The San Diego Convention Center ’s sozzled hallway could n’t oblige so many people , which was worsened by fansflocking around popular streamersand block the flow of traffic .
attendant also complained that the venue was unobtainable for those using mobility assistance , such as wheelchairs and baby-walker , because of the unmanaged gang and unprepared security measure . In anX threadabout the event ’s lack of handiness , attender said that when popular streamer walked by , pullulate fans pushed around those using mobility acquired immune deficiency syndrome and virtually trampled them .
Twitch managed to extenuate push issue during this year ’s pattern , a success that Delphin credits to the company find out quickly .
“ It was a huge demand to come back . I think fandoms have grown in that fourth dimension period of time , just the fervor around specific Lord that was totally and wholly different than we ’d see before , ” Delphin read of last year ’s TwitchCon . “ And the creators themselves had also utterly burst . It used to be that you ’d come to TwitchCon , be the biggest creator , and you could take the air around pretty freely . Now it ’s huge , it ’s a whole different kind of apparatus to manage . ”
Attendee feedback is light : Next yr ’s normal , wherever it is , needs to have more accessible third places .
Thethird placeis a sociological term that refers to a forcible blank that is n’t work or home , where people can socialise without the obligations of productivity . If you’re able to hang out there , it ’s a third place . During the pandemic , virtual communities served as ad hoc third places in lieu of coffee shop , bookstore and gymnasium . Twitch , which saw exponential growth during the pandemic , was one of them . Last class ’s San Diego - based TwitchCon , for all of its flaw , took place in a walkable city abundant with nearby places to advert out , allowing attendees to bond , internet and interact outside of the convention center . There ’s no shortage of third post in Las Vegas , but for many TwitchCon meeter , cabaret and casinos are n’t accessible alternatives to San Diego ’s more casual venues .
Moni , a pennant working in games tech who give out by Monistreams , expressed her frustrations in arecent poston Twitch ’s feedback forum UserVoice .
“ They do a really good job of prepare content , it truly feels like a celebration of the biotic community and streamers , ” Moni said over a Discord call . “ That ’s their merchandising detail . It is a celebration of streamers and their communities . However , in Las Vegas , it feel like people were not spending time with their favourite streamers or their community because they were all stuck in an Uber or walk an time of day on the Strip , or essentially doing anything else but being at the con . ”
For a metropolis designed around tourism , the Las Vegas Strip is a pain in the neck to navigate — a fact that CES attendees are well acquainted with . Whatever dealings and availability issues last yr ’s TwitchCon attendees faced in San Diego ’s Gaslamp Quarter blench in comparing to the complaint about the Las Vegas Strip .
Walking in the sprawl of casinos is nearly impossible , especially in Nevada ’s oppressive October heat . The Las Vegas Convention Center , where TwitchCon ’s computer programing and expounding hall were ground , is locate at the end of the Strip and the majority of nearby dining option are either fast food string or extravagant eatery . take rideshares could be prohibitively expensive ( I , for example , spent a heinous $ 37 on one 10 - minute ride between TwitchCon events ) , and the sheer demand for railroad car mean that waiting for an Uber could take anywhere between five and 30 minute of arc . Other events nearby , like the emo revival music festival When We Were Young and the upcoming Formula One Grand Prix , further complicated travelling around the rule center .
It was even worse for disabled attender . Streamer Steve Saylor , a unreasoning gamer and disability counselor-at-law , postedthat he struggled to get around Las Vegas , even with rideshares , and that those with motor disabilities had even more difficulties because of the lack of adequate accommodation in the urban center ’s infrastructure .
at long last back from#TwitchConand it was such a cool vibe that I really enjoy everything about it . The people there were amazing !
Vegas tho , just the absolute bad . Especially for those with disabilities trying to get anywhere . I go for I never have to go back there again .
— Steve Saylor ( @stevesaylor)October 24 , 2023
These complaints about the Las Vegas Strip are n’t new , and are commonly accept in the patronage - off for a weekend of partying or networking at a business conference . Twitch ’s usership , however , skews young — Twitchreportsthat in 2022 , over 70 % of its TV audience were between 18 and 34 — and they may not have the disposable income to drop hundreds every day on meals and drive . attender who do drink kvetch that Las Vegas is importantly more expensive than San Diego .
The city ’s emphasis on imbibing and gambling is out or keeping with much of Twitch ’s usership . Las Vegas locus are overwhelmingly 21 + , which boot out a significant fate of TwitchCon ’s streamers and viewers . Even if they are of sound boozing eld , today ’s vernal grownup tend to drinkless than previous generation did .
Las Vegas ’ frenetic tempo is enthralling for many , but some Twitch users complained that the city ’s energy did n’t fit the Twitch demographic . Moni ’s UserVoice post noted that the sensory overload that makes Las Vegas feel like Las Vegas is n’t as alluring for introverted gamers .
“ I want to be mindful of the target audience Twitch serves — I would probably assume many of us experience the same about the overstimulation , ” Twitch pennant herokerrey remark . “ While I understand in - person event are a hoopla / shake up experience , pairing it with one of the most alive city in the human race may not have been the practiced picking . ”
Other drug user commented that they missed the self-generated get - togethers that made former conventions so enjoyable , and that the offsite event like creator social were disperse across the metropolis . One commenter quetch that transfer between events took as long as actually attending the events .
DinomiteTwins , Twitch streamers who are identical twins and share a channel , commented that the city ’s sizing “ put a muffler ” on how easily they could meet fellow Creator .
“ We were in an approved hotel [ provided by Twitch ] and I cope with more vacationers , metal worker and brides than Twitch streamer in my hotel , ” one of the DinomiteTwins notice . “ A smaller walkable metropolis kick upstairs organic interaction as we are not all taking cabs … It felt like the priority was just being in a fun shoes instead of facilitate trafficker , creator and community meetups and deepening those necktie . ”
Third place provide more than just a prisonbreak from the glare of fluorescent convention substance lighting — they ’re vital for build community , a sentiment that Twitch insists is singular to its platform as other livestreaming competition profit users . compare to its contender , Twitch ’s robust temperance and slew of collaboration characteristic does facilitate a nearer knit sense of biotic community among its streamers and viewers . There was plenty of chance to mingle within the wall of the convention center , which even had a designated elbow room to relax and make friendly relationship bracelets , but organic interactions seemed strained to Twitch - shop events . The diverse programming and various meetups could only do so much in an area with so few effortless social spaces .
Lowco , Moni and multiple other Twitch users comment on Moni ’s UserVoice post all oppugn why TwitchCon could n’t take place in San Diego again . Some have float hosting both a West Coast and East Coast TwitchCon , if electrical capacity is a concern . VidCon , which has traditionally been held in Anaheim , California , recently launched asecond convention earlier this yr in Baltimore , Maryland .
“ Ultimately , TwitchCon is a community celebration , ” Lowco said . “ We are there to conform to up with our looker and fellow streamers . Let ’s pick places that make it easy for us to get together . ”
