'Twitch for Pokemon' has attracted more than 70,000 people and is still growing. The channel is streaming the MMO co-op version of 1996's classic Pokemon Red.
Twitch users, who have logged in, can affect the gameplay by initiating commands in the comment section, which has been dubbed a "social experiment". Players can control the main character of the game by use of commands in the chat section like 'left' to turn left, 'up' to move up and so on.
Though the game is slow, uncoordinated, and sometimes the character is simply wandering about, it has still managed to earn four badges. Players were also able to spot 71 Pokemon, while 12 were captured, reports Polygon, quoting the document that is tracking these developments.
The game is heading to the fifth day, and players have cleared Rock Tunnel, entered SS Anne, Lavender Town, Celadon City, Saffron City and Erika's Gym. Players have also bought a Soda Pop.
Readers can also check the statistics page from the channel that gives trivia and viewer information, and the number of button presses. It says that a total of over 2.9 million buttons were pressed by 299,533 unique people so far.
There have been several subreddit and imitations of this like Twitch Plays Pokemon: Crystal Version, Twitch Plays Pokemon Plays Tetris.
The channel is also available for paid subscription for $4.99. However, people who subscribe cannot expect any special treatment, and they cannot bypass the slow mode restriction.
Twitch is happy that the streaming for Pokemon has done really well. "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," said Matthew DiPietro, Vice President of Marketing, Twitch.
"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," he added, reported GamingBolt.
(Video Courtesy: Twitch Plays Pokemon)
Watch live video from TwitchPlaysPokemon on www.twitch.tv