People Are Now Using Pokemon to Market Blockchain Tech

Twitch is a live-streaming website that has seen its popularity explode over the course of its existence. As a result, it should come as no surprise to learn that Twitch users have come up with some rather interesting things in that period of time, with an excellent example being Twitch Plays Pokemon.

For those who are unfamiliar with that name, Twitch Plays Pokemon was set up by an anonymous person, who intended it to serve as a social experiment of sorts. In short, said individual would stream Pokemon Red, but instead of being the one to put in the commands, said individuals entrusted it to the viewers to put in commands via the chat-room for the stream. Something that was made possible by the anonymous person’s programming efforts.

Considering that Twitch Plays Pokemon has had times when it had more than one million viewers, it should come as no surprise to learn that the results of this setup turned out to be rather chaotic on numerous occasions. However, the most amazing thing is that the players have actually managed to play through not just Pokemon Red but also other Pokemon games in spite of the inherent challenges of the setup, which is very odd but nonetheless very interesting. As a result, it is no wonder that there is now a full-fledged fandom that has sprung up around Twitch Plays Pokemon, which comes complete with its own set of memes that have formed organically as a result of the viewers’ experiences. One excellent example of these memes is the joke about the Helix Fossil being an object of worship, while other excellent examples often revolve around particularly memorable moments from the playthroughs.

How Is Twitch Plays Pokemon Connected to Blockchain Tech?

Regardless, since Twitch Plays Pokemon has such a huge presence, it is perhaps unsurprising that there would be people seeking to capitalize on its popularity for their own benefit. This can be seen in a promotional effort for the Lightning Network, which is more than a little bit distasteful to say the least.

In short, those who are unfamiliar with the name should know that the Lightning Network is a payment system that promises interested individuals the ability to conduct minor Bitcoin transactions in a nigh-instantaneous manner. This is actually pretty important because the length of time needed to complete Bitcoin transactions is one of the more common complaints against that particular cryptocurrency. As a result, something that can complete Bitcoin transactions faster could prove useful to a lot of people out there because said cryptocurrency remains the most popular example of its kind.

With that said, one can’t help but suspect that there might have been a better promotional method than combining microtransactions with a knock-off of Twitch Plays Pokemon. For those who are curious, there is now a Twitch stream of a Pokemon game that is similar in nature to its predecessor. However, whereas commands for Twitch Plays Pokemon could be entered by a wide range of viewers, the commands for this new livestream is much more restrictive in nature. This is because the livestream charges 10 Satoishi to enter one command, which is intended to show off the speed at which the Lightning Network completes Bitcoin transactions while presumably earning some money in the process. After all, while 10 Satoshis don’t sound like much, it would take a lot of commands to complete a play-through of a Pokemon game, which in turn, means that said sum will add up with surprising speed.

On the whole, the setup of the new live-stream is rather distasteful. In part, this is because it is a rather cynical attempt to cash in on the popularity of something that was created through the combined effort of millions of people working in chaotic unison, which was in a real sense, a heartwarming reminder of what is possible when people get creative. However, it should also be noted that this promotional method doesn’t seem that well-thought-out. It sounds like a promising service based on the information that has been released. As a result, if it can live up to its promise, there are probably better ways to bring it to the attention of interested individuals than something so lazy and uninspired.