Twitch Plays Pokémon

Twitch Plays Pokémon logo

Twitch Plays Pokémon is a channel that is known for streaming play-throughs of Pokémon games, usually through the use of emulators. It is hosted by game streaming website Twitch. Unlike other channels, where the streamer plays the game for the audience to watch, Twitch Plays Pokémon gives every viewer the chance to participate via the built in chat. The channel went live with a play through of Pokémon Red on February 13, 2014 at 01:22:37 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.

When a game is not being played, the channel instead hosts randomly generated Pokémon battles with Pokémon Battle Revolution (previously Pokémon Stadium 2). Players can bet Pokémon Dollars on a Red or Blue team via the built in chat, and in later updates could vote for what moves their team’s Pokémon could use.

The channel had around 120,000 simultaneous viewers at its peak, with almost 36 million total views in the first run alone.^[1] It has received several awards, including a Guinness World Record^[2]. After successful completion of the first run, the channel continued streaming other Pokémon games, with the streamer planning to continue as long as interest remains.

Format

Twitch Plays Pokémon is divided into seasons and runs, the runs being the equivalent of an episode. According to the streamer there are to be four runs per season, and each season lasts around a year (equating around four runs per year). In-between these runs, TPP Bets is usually shown.

The stream uses Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), known as Stream Time, as its base time format. It is usually displayed to the millisecond in order for players to accurately calculate how long the video is delayed (on average, this is around 20 seconds). Like UTC, Stream Time remains constant and does not observe any Daylight Saving Time.

Runs

The channel's most recent run, Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, in 'anarchy' mode

During a run, analogous to an episode, the channel’s format is fairly simple. A viewer simply has to input the command into the chat window, and that command is translated to the game. For example, if one user were to type ‘up’ into the chat, the character onscreen would move up. User commands are generally shown as a reverse-waterfall like scroller situated to the right hand side of the frame. The username of each command contributor is shown alongside it.

The control scheme varies depending on what platform is currently being used. For example, when playing games designed for the Game Boy or Game Boy Color, only the 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).

During runs, there are two main systems in use, known as Anarchy and Democracy. Anarchy simply inputs commands as soon as the system receives them in the order in which it receives them. Democracy holds a vote for each command to be input; only the command with most votes is input to the game. Both systems have their advantages and disadvantages, and they are often a source of controversy in the community as to which system "should" be used.

Betting intermissions

Typical battle betting, using a modified version of Pokémon Battle Revolution

When the channel is not streaming a run, it instead shows randomly-generated Pokémon battles known as TPP Bets. Using Pokémon Battle Revolution (and Pokémon Stadium 2 before that), two teams each of three Pokémon are pitted against each other. Players can place bets using Pokémon Dollars on either side, with betting odds calculated accordingly. Like the currency used in the games, the money used in-stream is fictional, and no actual money is spent on betting. If a player runs out of money, their funds are reduced to $100 and will not decrease below that. More features were added to the betting system as time went by.

players are able to use a separate currency unit (called tokens) to influence elements of the stream. They can spend them to change the next music track to be played, enable a glow around their username onscreen and bet them on random slot machines. At the start of each hour, a token match will begin. Players can submit six Pokémon they want in the next battle and bid tokens next to it. The submission with the highest token bid will be selected for the token match. Tokens are obtained randomly through voting commands on a play through of Vietnamese Crystal or through donating or subscribing to the stream.

Vietnamese Crystal

The host (nicknamed 'Baba') competing in Blackthorn Gym. This mode is sometimes referred to as 'super democracy' by fans.

Starting after the conclusion of the first run of Season 2 (known as Anniversary Red Version by fans), a run of the Pokémon Vietnamese Crystal ROM hack was started as a filler in between betting matches. Players are able to vote for only one command at a time, after which the game is paused and resumes after the next match. At the end of each vote, a player is randomly selected to receive a token. Players who already have tokens can choose to donate them to the pool, causing multiple random players to each receive a token; this is nicknamed a 'token storm'.

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 the sound effect 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 a rise of the lowest amount of in-stream currency they can have (it will not drop below $500, as opposed to $100 for normal users).

Donation and subscription banners are displayed in both runs and betting intermissions.

Intermission games

The channel occasionally streams other games during the intermission between runs, often with bets playing simultaneously. These games are often wide-ranging and include many franchises that are not linked to Pokémon, including Catz, Mario Golf, Doom and Worms. It is speculated that these games were introduced as a field test of new inputting systems before new runs began. Since all major hand-held platforms have now been played at least once on the channel, intermission games appear far less often.

Origins

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 Chaos Theory^[3] and the Infinite Monkey Theorem^[4], but since the latter would require completely random inputs the comparison remains speculative.

The original creator of the stream has chosen to remain anonymous, though has revealed he is a male freelance programmer from Australia. The actual act of hosting of the channel is done by a small team, mostly from the community. Programming for the onscreen control system is also shared amongst several people, the streamer playing a large role. Other work, such as creating a betting system to work with Battle Revolution or creating ROM hacks for the stream is done by different groups of volunteers.

The streamer himself is rarely seen on-stream and has a policy of near-complete non-interference, with the desire for the stream to be as organic as possible. Intervention is needed on several occasions, such as break-downs or game crashes, power-cuts and so on. The streamer's only correspondence are seen on Twitch, through the channel's subreddit, or in media interviews.

Seasons and runs

With the completion of the original run, the channel's streamer stated that each future season will comprise of four runs, with each season lasting roughly one year. The first ten playthroughs were retroactively referred to as the first season thereafter. In the same manner as Season and Episode, one can refer to a specific play through by Season and Run (i.e. S01R03).

Season 1

Main article: Twitch Plays Pokémon: Season 1

Navigating the Safari Zone in the original run

The original run of 10 games starting at Pokémon Red and ending with Pokémon Omega Ruby came to be known collectively as the first season. It was during this time that the channel received the most media attention, since at the time of the original playthrough it was wondered whether completion was possible and a marvel that any progress had been made at all. It is also the season where the vast majority of lore and most well-known memes originated from. The lore of this season was particularly potent, as fans drew together a vast, overacting story that interconnected every game, incorporating characters such as caught Pokémon and hosts and interpreting in-stream events.

This run introduced many concepts which would become core to the channel's format, including command inputs through the chat, anarchy and democracy, donations, command stacking and the betting intermission. It also introduced the idea of playing ROM hack versions of official Pokémon games, including randomized runs for remakes such as Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon HeartGold and a playthrough of the ROM hack Pokémon Blaze Black 2 in place of the original Pokémon Black 2. A notable breakthrough in this season was a specially modified 3DS that could accept inputs from the chat and stream out video via a capture card.^[5] This was necessary, as 3DS emulators are currently unavailable. Several concepts, such as "Demoarchy/Anarchracy" (a hybrid of the Anarchy and Democracy systems), were not retained in later seasons.

Fans generally consider the first two runs, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Crystal as the most exciting, with players gradually losing interest through Runs 3 and 4 (Emerald and Platinum). A comparatively smaller group of dedicated fans have continued to play and generate lore, with some lore becoming more 'niche' in the process. As the season progressed, and the players became more adept at the control system, the runs became quicker to play. This culminated in Run 10, Omega Ruby, taking only 9 days to complete compared to the first run's 16. Complaints that the games were becoming too easy prompted the streamer to promise a modified harder version of a Pokémon game for the start of the next season.

Season 2

Main article: Twitch Plays Pokémon: Season 2

Playing two games simultaneously, introduced for Season 2

The current season started with a modified version of Pokémon Red as a homage to the original run and celebrating a year online. Known as Pokémon TPP Version, itself a modified version of the Dex hack Pokémon Red 151, it was the first Pokémon ROM hack to be specifically designed for live broadcast, and introduced a large number of game changes designed to make the run more challenging. The objective was to catch all 151 Pokémon (all made available in-game), as well as beat a special final boss.

This season introduced the concept of two games being played simultaneously with both games accepting the same inputs, with a playthrough of the popular Moemon and Touhoumon (both modifications of FireRed) for Run 2. It also introduced a randomized version of a Generation VI game (Pokémon Alpha Sapphire) for Run 3, a concept that is still relatively new. Randomized battles of Super Smash Bros. running natively on a Wii U console were also introduced with this run, taking the place of Pokémon Battle Revolution whilst the betting system underwent an upgrade.

The season is currently awaiting its fourth and final run, due to start on October 12, 2015 at 21:00 UTC. In a first for the channel, players were polled on what game they would like to play next. Pokémon Colosseum, the stream's first GameCube game, was selected.

Impact

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 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."^[6]

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 manufacturers 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,^[7] and presented it with the Innovation Award at the first TwitchCon event in 2015.

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, a direct reference exists in the French translation of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Before being battled, Brawly says, "J'ai découvert le secret de la vraie puissance en fixant un Nautile pendant des jours et des jours...", referencing the popular meme in the first run. Another potential reference in the same games could be the framed portrait of an Omanyte at the back of Mr. Stone's office in the Devon Corporation. He also gives the player the Pidgeotite in that office, a possible reference to the Bird Jesus character.

The concept of the stream has also influenced live game streaming as a whole, inspiring many imitations which apply the same or 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's format and its popularity amongst imitators has been credited as giving birth to the "crowd-playing" genre.

Awards

Culture

Fan art depicting Twitch Plays Pokémon lore. Art by whoaconstrictor (original)

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

Keeping in step with the channel’s original concept, Twitch Plays Pokémon’s community tends to have a largely de-centralised 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 encyclopaedia) and 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; community members have even set up dedicated computers to perform these tasks.

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 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 romanised versions or interpretations of their in-game nickname. For example, a 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 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 Flareon 'blamed' by players for the unintentional release of a number of Pokémon, including the run's 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.

External links

Bulbanews has an article related to this subject:

Gotta Meme 'em All: Spiraling Out of Control!

• Twitch Plays Pokémon official channel
  • Twitch Plays Pokémon archived footage

• TwitchPlaysPokémon.org
• Twitch Plays Pokémon on Reddit
• Twitch Plays Pokémon on TVTropes
• Twitch Plays Pokémon on Wikipedia
• Interview with host

References

This article is a part of Project Fandom, a Bulbapedia Project that aims to write comprehensive articles on every aspect of the Pokémon Fandom.