Self-proclaimed "Dorkface" and amazing Twitch streamer, Kintinue shares the secrets of her path to Twitch Partner and offers inspiring words of advice.
Introduce yourself
My name is Kintinue, and I am a full time content creator and live streamer! I have been streaming and creating content since early 2015. I began streaming with the hopes to do charity events and play games with my friends. Being a Twitch Partner at that time seemed like an impossible feat, so I just focused on playing games with my friends, learning how to play new games, and goofing off. Over time, the channel began to grow to where I felt comfortable enough to do my first ever charity stream. We had a goal of $1000 for the Testicular Cancer Society which was hit in the first 15 minutes. I was partnered a few months later and haven't looked back.
What will you find on my stream? Weird conversations, games of all varieties, strong community, a place to find friends, silly faces, loud noises, charity events and so much more. I have a bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Tennessee. I have four cats, workout like crazy, love building Legos, have and would like too many tattoos, enjoy reading and watching horror movies.
What kind of challenges did you face as you were becoming full-time Twitch streamer?
When I started streaming in early 2015, there were some full time content creators and streamers on the platform, but less than 10,000 partners. Partnership didn't really define my ability to go full time. I had been streaming for fun for a few months when I left my career with our local Chamber of Commerce. Instead of looking for another career path, I sat down with my fiancée and decided I had enough saved to give streaming a real go for a year.
It was hard. I was just getting started. Twitch wasn't owned by Amazon at the time, so things like Prime subs, gifted subs, bits, the Affiliate program, etc., didn't exist. I relied heavily on tips, off-site subs and other means. Some months were so unstable, I questioned if I would be able to do streaming full time. But I kept working. I spent hundreds of hours researching, networking, exploring and learning how to build a true community, what the gaming industry wanted from content creators, how to network and more. It was a challenge to be taken seriously in the first few months, but I kept trying.
As long as I am having fun and can support myself, I will continue to stream full time and look for as many opportunities as I can. Streaming and the game industry are ever changing environments. It is very difficult not to get stuck in my ways or my safety bubble. Growing and improving means pushing the boundaries of myself to see what else I can accomplish while giving back to the community that has supported me all of these years, as well as the platform and my sponsors.
What kind of changes would you like to see in the gaming industry? What can be done better?
The gaming industry at times seems to take two steps forward and then three steps back. However, I do feel that in the last decade (moreso even, but that's about how long I personally have been involved) things are slowly improving. There are still a myriad of groups that are being overlooked, underpaid and dealing with different forms of abuse. The "boys club" mentality seems to be improving to a point but there is always room to get better.
When it comes to content creators and streamers, I do wish there were more opportunities for creators of all demographics, sizes, etc to have more opportunities. How are these creators going to grow if we as an industry don't help bring them up? Numbers, while they do have their purpose and importance, should never be the be all end all to determine a creator's worth. Enforcing that can be a great discouragement of growth as well as hurting a creator's drive.
What are your favorite games?
This list could be super long! Some of my top favorites are definitely the Fallout franchise, Doom, Wolfenstein, Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Outlast, Resident Evil, The Binding of Isaac, Alice: Madness Returns, and so so many more.
What do you look for when buying games? What are your criteria to stream them?
Games for me should be entertaining for myself as well as my community. Indie games are great for this because so many can be hidden jewels. Games that inspire, create emotion, encourage communication, etc are just a few of the concepts I look at when selecting games. Is this multiplayer game something my community will want to play on our multiplayer days, and is it affordable? Will this single-player game not just hold my attention, but the community's as well? Do I want to play this? If I don't have an interest, they won't want to watch me struggle through.
What is your favorite piece of SteelSeries gear?
My absolute favorite piece is my Arctis Pro Wireless headset as well as my Arctis 7 Wireless headset. I've also loved my Apex 5 keyboard over the years.
What advice do you have for women who want to get into streaming?
My biggest piece of advice is: don't get caught up in the drama of streaming. Be yourself. Find your people. If you want something, don't let your gender identity stop you. You are just as strong as anyone else. You are powerful, smart, and unstoppable. Learn as much as you can about the industry. Make TRUE friends. Ask for help -- it is 100% okay. Be safe. Set realistic goals, then set higher ones when you hit them. Keep in mind, there will be setbacks and struggles, but you can do it!
Big thanks to Kintinue for sharing her story with SteelSeries. Be sure to follow her on Twitch, Twitter, and Instagram.
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