Is It "Fun" to Gameplay Stream?

Ever since I picked up a new USB capture device for my Personal Computer sometime last week, I found myself doing a lot more gameplay streaming on Justin.tv because of the convenience. I have managed to improve the image quality of the console game videos that I have to view on the PC desktop as I am streaming them so I don't feel that I am sacrificing too much of the visual pleasures from my end to accomplish the task. It is evident from a past entry that I really enjoy watching live gameplay but how does it feel to be the one broadcasting it?

There is always something to watch on Justin.tv.

There is always something you can offer the viewers as well.

I suppose the answer to that question may improve over time but at the moment, I would say that it's an interesting experiment because not many have stopped by to watch what I have been playing even after I made a departure from the whole Culdcept-centric focus of my channel. The main reason for me to actively participate in the community in the first place is to have live interaction with other gamers out there and perhaps eventually forge long-lasting friendships with some of them. Since my significant other loathes watching me play video games - don't worry, it's mutual for I loathe watching Oprah - in a sad way, streaming to Justin.tv somewhat fulfills that desire of wanting to be watched. Not that I couldn't have fun on my own playing these games but interacting with others while doing so made the entire experience less passive and it opens up an escalated level of shared subject matter appreciation.

I do my best to stream whenever I can.

One thing that surprises me about doing these streams is how I am encouraged to look into my catalogue of older games and start playing them again more vigorously. Since I could stream past generation console games with a good amount of clarity and detail, I tend to stick to streaming PlayStation 2 gameplay as of late. Of course, I am still that person who only play what I feel like playing at the moment but there is this urge for continuity whenever I stream a particular game to Justin.tv! This could prove to be very useful since I do still have games that I never get to complete and now I am strangely encouraged to go through that catalogue with ease. Since the process of setting up the stream is rather seamless, it now feels "incomplete" when I played these games "offline" because of the missing potential for fun interactivity. I am afraid that I am hooked on this thing for life.