YouTube game streamer aims high
Video content creators, or streamers, have increasingly become admired. Thanks to nationwide high-speed internet networks and rapid penetration of mobile devices, many streamers in Korea have won both wealth and fame by providing viewers with fresh entertainment that hasn’t been offered by conventional television shows.
Jin Dong-min, a YouTube game video content creator who is better known by his nickname “Acau,” suggests people give it a try, not just to make a profession of it but also to have the experience of sharing fun with others.
“Video content creator has become one of the trendiest jobs nowadays. Many people say they want to be a content creator but not many of them actually attempt to do so,” Jin said.
“A kind of YouTube content for kids is on the rise recently. Parents can try creating an entertaining video clip for broadcast. Once they do, they can build closeness with their family in a very entertaining way.
“It’s not difficult at all to do and does not necessarily require heavy and expensive equipment. So if one thinks of streaming whatever they want, I strongly recommend giving it a try right now,” he said.
Jin said he started his online gaming broadcast in 2012 by chance on the advice of another streamer.
“I didn’t mean to become a video content creator at first. I was just trying to play video game with others,” he said.
“But once I did it, I realized I could deal with my financial difficulties by making money broadcasting online.”
The 23-year-old is one of the most popular Korean YouTube streamers based on his playing of the world-building game “Minecraft.” As of August, his YouTube channel had 1.2 million subscribers and averaged more than 110,000 concurrent view- ers between February and July this year.
The game originally makes players build structures using textured cubes in a 3D world and explore it to gather resources and craft things for combat. But numerous plug-ins and add-ons have been developed to make the game depict anything, just like Lego blocks.
“Though Minecraft is played mostly by teenagers and those in their early 20s in Korea, my shows have drawn viewers from a relatively wider range of ages. I believe this is because my team produces video content that can be accepted by more diverse viewers,” he said.
Jin said to attract many viewers he keeps a critical eye on his own shows.
“I always monitor the change of the number of concurrent viewers and study how they react to what I say in the show,” he said.
“A good internet show needs continuous self-analysis. Even the most delicious food begins to cloy after a long time. For entertainment, freshness is the most important.”
He said his shows are also watched by many Korean students studying abroad. He said his team plans to expand their viewership to overseas countries.
“I plan to enter the gaming video streaming market in English-speaking countries by adding English subtitles to my shows,” he said.
“I am also studying Chinese for global expansion and am still working on it.”