For my report the stream I chose to watch was the 2017 Injustice 2 Pro Finals. Although the commentators changed every few games and the players themselves were not streaming their games, there was still a common theme amongst the way the games were being portrayed and between the personalities of the various pairs of commentators. The commentators made the stream very welcoming and open to everyone by explaining much of the game, including possible reasons behind the players’ choices and reasons that certain choices may have made or broken each player’s game. This makes it a stream easy for anyone to jump in and watch, not just those who are very familiar and experienced with Injustice themselves. The commentators also speculated a lot throughout the stream, trying to get inside the minds of the players while explaining their choices and what each individual might have been thinking. This allowed for the viewers to speculate on their own about who has the best strategy and the reasoning for certain choices made. Because of this allowance the comment section was constantly alive with new theories and speculation, and with the audience members’ opinions on the speculations of the commentators, going back and forth with who agreed and disagreed with the commentators’ statements. Things such as explanations behind and speculation into game strategy and certain players’ gameplay is a large part of performative play. When playing for an audience it is important that the commentators, or the players themselves, make the environment not only welcoming but entertaining and captivating, as the goal is to keep viewers watching for long periods of time, not just attracting them in the first place. The players(s) or commentator(s) must always be aware of who their target audience is and cater toward not just their current viewers but also to the type of viewers they wish to attract to their channel in general.

It is my belief that with the development of virtual and augmented reality performative play will become a much more interactive experience, bringing the viewers further into the games they are watching rather than being on the outside looking in. Not only will it be implemented into tournaments and individual streamers’ rooms to allow all viewers to feel like they are there in the room with their favorite players, but it will most likely be pushed even further in the coming years. For example, viewers with access to virtual and augmented reality equipment may be able to project themselves into the actual game, experiencing the game itself as if it is real and happening right in front of and around them, rather than only watching the players and their screens from a distance. With developments such as these I feel certain that watching games in the way that we know it will slowly phase out. With the advancements of technology the need for platforms such as youtube to watch a player’s screen will no longer be enticing and will lose a lot of their viewership. The addition of commentators may also become obsolete, as viewers will be able to experience the games they are watching in a whole new way with the game happening all around them, and the need may fade away for commentators and speculators to keep things interesting.