Depends on the game they are playing. If I have very little interest in the game and it's not something where something funny or unexpected can happen, then why bother watching, just listen. For instance something like Overwatch, there isn't all that much that can happen. What's going to be funny about seeing the gameplay? You miss some shots or jump off a cliff? Eh, didn't lose much by not watching. Or more recently, Idol Showdown, you get combo'd or do some combos. Oh no, I missed someone getting killed by Marine's horny attack? Being told about it is just as funny as seeing it, it's not like it's some crazy physics bug that you need to see to truly understand.I have a question semi-related to vtubers. Do you guys actually 'watch' vtuber streams, as in staring at the screen the whole time?
Personally, I can't be asked to sit down and just watch the stream without doing anything else. I like to play games while listening, but I'm having a lot of trouble finding a game that's really good for spending countless hours on while listening to something else.
If you guys play games while watching streams, what do you play? Help your bro out.
That said, i have trouble picking games to play in the background too. Story heavy is bad, especially if it has voice acting. I just bought Xenoblade Chronicles along with Zelda, but when will I ever actually get a chance to play that? No clue.
So basically I end up playing roguelites, and even more specifically turn-based ones. I've been playing Backpack Hero recently, played Monster Train for a bit, Peglin.
If you're into them, match-based games would not be bad either. The same type of stuff I don't actively watch them play would be good to play yourself if you actually like the game; Overwatch, Valorant, Idol Showdown, etc. don't take any real thought and you can just play based on instinct while paying attention to stream audio, and it's not like you're gonna miss out on any story.
Zelda honestly might not be bad if you avoid doing story/quest related things and just explore and look for koroks or whatever. Same with any MMO; you can grind, but just avoid story/quests.
All that said, yes I do also sit and actively watch the screen for entire streams if I am interested in the game or there is some chance of the player being able to react to things in game or express themselves through the gameplay. It's also far more likely for me to actively watch when it's live, because of the chance for interaction and the inability to rewind if you miss something. I got messages read in IRyS's latest Mega Man stream, she's so good at reading, I love her.