Spectator LF Streamer: Facilitating Better Stream Discovery through Spectator Motivations and Stream Affordances

This paper explores game spectator needs, and proposes design choices aimed at enhancing the exploration and discovery experience on game streaming platforms. It does so by combining insights from previous game streaming research with a new survey study conducted among Twitch users (N = 124) to understand how to use spectator characteristics, searching behaviour, motivations and stream(er) affordances as a way to control and enhance the search experience. Preliminary results from the survey are presented, as are a set of initial design goals to improve the spectator experience based on the uncovered findings. Moving forward, these design goals will be evaluated and refined through user interviews and an iterative user-centred design process of prototypes.