Dungeons & Dragons, which fell out of favor in the fourth edition, returned in the fifth edition thanks to videos of people playing the game. If the DM is a good showman like Chris Perkins or Matt Mercer, then D&D 5th edition is a very good look. Bigger than the 4th edition which is a bit more mechanical. And I don't think Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast knows anything about it. Apparently, they are currently working on version "5.5" , which will be released for their 50th anniversary in 2024. I'm sure these days when making game design decisions, they're asking themselves "what is a YouTube game like?".
Streaming devices playing indie games on Twitch are becoming an increasingly important marketing channel for these smaller games. You can notice, by the way, that these streamers are served by independent companies that, for example, create NPCs in a game with a streaming device interface. But this again means that potential customers will experience the game by watching it being played; and "How does it look good?" It becomes the design standard.
It's not necessarily bad. Watching a game they play gives me a much better idea than a printed review. But there are things that I like about games, like the story, and that hurts. If your streaming device has great voice acting, playing video game stories is usually unimpressive. The same story wouldn't shock you too much if you read it while playing. And so I'm wondering how social media like YouTube and Twitch will eventually influence game design to make something more flashy and less reflective.
