Podcast Summary
Early detection of cat illness saves lives and money: Pretty Litter's color-changing litter helps detect early cat illness, saving lives and money. Teamwork motivates athletes, and NPCs add depth to video games.
Early detection of illness in cats can save lives and money. Daniel, the founder of Pretty Litter, shared his personal experience of losing his cat, Jinji, due to hidden symptoms. He then created a health monitoring litter that changes colors to indicate early signs of illness. This innovative solution not only benefits cat owners but also emphasizes the importance of keeping tabs on a pet's health at home. Meanwhile, in a different context, the discussion touched upon the significance of teamwork and being your best for your teammates. The fear of letting them down can motivate athletes to perform at their peak. Furthermore, the conversation delved into the concept of Non-Player Characters (NPCs) in video games, which have been a part of the gaming world for decades. These characters, controlled by the game's programming, add depth and complexity to the gaming experience. In essence, the discussion covered various topics, but the underlying themes revolved around the importance of early illness detection in cats, teamwork, and the role of NPCs in video games.
NPCs Transformed from Background Elements to Integral Parts of Gaming Experience: From simple background elements, NPCs evolved into friends, adversaries, and essential sources of information in games, with distinct personalities, physicality, and dialogues.
As computing power grew, video games evolved to include more complex non-playable characters (NPCs), transforming them from simple background elements to integral parts of the gaming experience. This development was first noticeable around the turn of the millennium with games like The Sims and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. In Grand Theft Auto, NPCs were programmed to have distinct personalities, physicality, and dialogues, encouraging players to interact with them in various ways. Repetition of phrases and actions became a defining characteristic of NPCs, often leading to fondness among players. Over time, NPCs became more than just background noise; they became friends, adversaries, and essential sources of information in the game world. However, with the rise of virtual reality and immersive gaming experiences, some players have now found themselves transitioning from being the main characters to becoming NPCs, blurring the lines between player and character.
Live streaming as NPCs from video games becomes a trend on social media: People are earning substantial money by live streaming themselves acting as NPCs from video games, starting a trend that raises questions about entertainment and internet culture monetization.
There's a trend on social media platforms like TikTok and Twitch where people are live streaming themselves acting like Non-Player Characters (NPCs) from video games. These individuals repeat physical and vocal ticks of NPCs for hours on end, and some even get paid substantial amounts of money, such as Pinkie Doll, who reportedly makes $7,000 a day. The origin of this trend can be traced back to Grand Theft Auto, but it has since become a meme and spread to various corners of the internet. The most famous NPC streamer is Pinkie Doll, a Canadian TikToker who started in January 2023. While she is the OG of this trend in the US, there are others doing it as well. Despite the controversy surrounding the repetitive nature of the content and the potential for cultural appropriation, people are drawn to the strange and fascinating spectacle of it all. The trend raises questions about the nature of entertainment and the monetization of internet culture.
NPC Streaming: Acting as Characters in the Creator Economy: NPC streaming is a new trend on TikTok where individuals act as characters and earn money through virtual tips. Viewers buy emojis or graphics for an augmented reality experience, with both the streamer and platform benefiting from the transactions.
Live streaming on platforms like TikTok has given rise to a new trend called NPC (Non-Player Character) streaming, where individuals act like characters and repeat lines for their audiences. This behavior can be seen as an evolution of human interaction with video games, drawing parallels to cosplay and even Dungeons and Dragons. NPC streamers earn money through virtual tips, which can be compared to micro-transactions in video games. Viewers can buy emojis or graphics that appear on the streamer's screen, creating an augmented reality experience. The streamer and the platform both receive a portion of the money spent, making it a mutually beneficial creator economy. This trend highlights the democratizing and liberating nature of modern content creation and consumption.
From MPC streaming to NPCs: A Look at Online Entertainment and Labels: MPC streaming, where viewers pay to watch content creators perform, has roots in various online forms of entertainment. The term NPC, used as an insult for lack of critical thinking, originated from video games.
MPC (Modeling and Performance Content) streaming, while appearing unusual and even dystopian to some, is a concept that has existed in various forms on the internet for a long time. People pay money to watch content creators perform or entertain them, be it through human statue performances or MPC streaming. The fascination with MPC streaming might seem uncanny and strange, but it's not that different from other forms of online entertainment. The term NPC (Non-Player Character) has been used as an insult in recent times, particularly in political contexts, but its origins lie in video games, where NPCs are non-playable characters that follow predetermined paths and actions. The use of NPC as an insult to demean individuals for repeating themselves or lacking critical thinking skills emerged from 4chan in 2016. However, the term has since been adopted more broadly and can be seen as a simple way to refer to someone who is not particularly interesting or engaging. While some may view MPC streaming as a sign of the fall of humanity, others find it fascinating and compelling. Ultimately, it's a matter of personal preference and interpretation.
MPC streaming: A unique blend of art, life, and technology: MPC streaming, or mute live, is a popular trend in Japan for self-expression and community building through gaming without speaking. It allows individuals to connect over shared experiences and create a liminal state in daily life.
MPC streaming, or mute live in Japanese origin, represents a unique intersection of art, life, and technology. This trend, which involves streaming oneself playing video games without speaking, has gained popularity as a form of self-expression and community building. It's a way for people to connect over shared experiences and memes, imitating video game characters in real life and communicating through reactions rather than words. The concept of waiting for things to happen in daily life is likened to being in a liminal state, but MPC streaming allows individuals to embrace and even create more of that experience. The origin of this trend can be traced back to Japan, where Natsuya Koko, a TikTok live and PC streamer, pioneered the concept of mute live. Despite the lack of verbal communication, this form of streaming has proven to be a powerful tool for connection and self-expression.
NPC streaming: Complexities of mute reactions and identity: NPC streaming, where creators react non-verbally to audience inputs, raises issues of agency, misogyny, and art-commerce intersection. Women, disproportionately targeted with online abuse, face unique challenges.
NPC streaming, a form of live content creation where the streamer remains mute and reacts non-verbally to emojis and other inputs from viewers, raises complex issues around agency, misogyny, and the intersection of art and commerce. Natsue, a popular NPC streamer, shared her experience of starting this trend and the unexpected identity it gave her. However, the discussion also touched upon the potential connection between misogyny and NPC streaming, as women are disproportionately targeted with abuse online. Carly, a researcher, emphasized that misogyny is pervasive and women cannot opt out of it. Natsue, who identifies as genderless, also shared her perspective on the issue. The conversation highlighted the nuanced complexities of this social phenomenon, which challenges traditional notions of performance and interaction in the digital age.
Exploring the Joy of NFT Streaming and Interactive Entertainment: Natsuie derives joy from NFT streaming beyond the money, appreciating artistic expression and fan interaction. Interactive streams raise ethical concerns, but allow for unique viewer engagement.
Natsuie, an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) streamer, finds joy and fulfillment in her unique form of entertainment, despite its controversial nature and shifting trends. For her, it's not just about the money, but also the artistic expression and fan adoration. The concept of NPCs (Non-Playable Characters) and main characters being interchangeable was also discussed, suggesting that even in small ways, we all have control in a chaotic world. Additionally, a new trend of interactive streams where viewers can subject the person on screen to various forms of "torture" was introduced, which raises ethical concerns. As listeners, we were encouraged to engage with real-life NPCs and review the show to receive reactions to our digital gifts. Overall, the discussion highlights the evolving nature of digital entertainment and the complex motivations behind participating in these trends.
Exploring untold stories from the Internet: The Internet offers a wealth of untold stories and unsolved mysteries, and traditional media can help bring these narratives to a wider audience
Learning from this episode of Endless Thread is that the lines between digital communities and traditional media are increasingly blurred. This podcast, produced by WBUR in Boston, explores untold histories, unsolved mysteries, and wild stories from the Internet. It's co-hosted by Ben Brock Johnson and Amari Sivertson, and the team includes Emily Jankowski, Sumitah Joshi, Matt Reid, Grace Tatter, Frannie Monahan, and Monroe Johnson. The show's sound design is by Paul Vikas. If you have a compelling story from the Internet that you'd like to share, consider reaching out to the Endless Thread team at endless thread@wbur.org. The podcast demonstrates how digital communities can provide fertile ground for compelling narratives, and how traditional media can help bring those stories to a wider audience. It's a reminder that the Internet is not just a source of entertainment, but also a rich resource for exploration and discovery.
