Chapter 9 I’ll Try Streaming
Dojun looked a bit nervous at MouseSucker’s reply.
“You want to be able to pay your mom’s hospital bills every month, right?”
“Yes.”
“Twenty million won per month. And if we include your living expenses and other things, you’ll need to make at least 25 million won monthly, right?”
It sounded easy, but Dojun knew very well how hard it was to earn 25 million won every month.
At first, he even thought about stealing.
With his abilities, stealing wasn’t hard at all.
But he didn’t want to live that kind of life in this life.
And he was sure his parents wouldn’t want him to either.
“It’s not impossible. Honestly, it all depends on how you do it.”
“Me?”
“Streaming might look easy on the outside, but it’s not like that at all. Since the market changed, viewers’ expectations have gone way up.”
Capsules.
Once virtual reality games were introduced, the PC gaming market quickly started to fade.
The graphics and immersion were just on a different level.
Compared to watching a screen, the thrill was completely different. Many people abandoned PC games for VR.
“There were tons of streamers back then. But after the shift to VR games, more than half of them lost their jobs.”
“Why?”
“In short, average streamers just couldn’t survive.”
After the shift to VR, games became harder overall.
People who only seemed good or relied on tricks lost their appeal.
“With VR, viewers started looking for streamers who could give them a higher sense of satisfaction. So the average ones just disappeared.”
Even top streamers were affected.
Just being good at games wasn’t enough anymore.
Viewers wanted to see people who quickly mastered new games and performed well.
Even among top players, those who could teach and entertain stood out.
“But being good at games doesn’t mean everyone can stream. And now, it’s much harder to start streaming.”
In the PC era, you just needed a computer, mic, and camera. Even if they were expensive, you could buy them over time.
Now, even used capsules with streaming features start at 10 million won.
So just starting was hard.
“In the end, the ones who survived were not only good but also good at talking.”
Dojun understood this part well.
He was confident in his skills.
Not just being one of the best — but the best.
“You’ll probably become the best in gaming no matter what. I know you’re confident.”
MouseSucker could see Dojun agreed.
“But that’s not enough. Do you think the current top AOS game streamer earns more than me?”
“Don’t they?”
“I earn dozens of times more.”
Dojun swallowed hard.
“I’m not insanely good at games. Even those who earn as much as me aren’t that great. But they still make a lot. Do you know why?”
Dojun shook his head.
“I don’t.”
“It’s because of entertainment.”
“Entertainment?”
He really didn’t understand the streaming world.
He thought his skills alone would be enough.
But MouseSucker crushed that thought completely.
“No matter how good you are, it’s boring without a story. Some people watch skilled streamers, sure, but that’s just a few. Most want fun or comfort from streams. So, if you’re only good at games, you might just earn enough for your mom’s hospital bills. But don’t you want more?”
“I do.”
“I’m making it complicated, but let me summarize. There are only three types of streamers who succeed.”
MouseSucker raised one finger.
“First, someone who’s always amazing and shows new, overwhelming skills.”
Then his middle finger.
“Second, someone who isn’t great at games but has a unique style and content that makes the stream fun and full of stories.”
Lastly, he raised his thumb.
“Third, someone who’s both.”
When MouseSucker finished, Dojun started thinking deeply.
MouseSucker carefully continued.
“You fit the first type. But depending on how you go about it, you could be the third. Of course, there are very few like that.”
“Can I really do it?”
Dojun was still scared.
This was his first big challenge.
And he feared failing and being hurt even more.
MouseSucker didn’t give him sweet words.
“It won’t be easy.”
“I figured.”
“But let me give you advice… If I started streaming again with your physical ability and looks, I’m sure I could do even better than I am now.”
Dojun’s heart pounded.
He understood what MouseSucker meant.
It was unrealistic — MouseSucker couldn’t just become him.
But—
‘But I am that guy.’
He already had both skills and looks. What he lacked was knowledge about streaming.
MouseSucker noticed Dojun realized this and smiled.
“I can teach you that knowledge. Or rather, we can build it together.”
“Really?”
“But there’s a condition.”
“A condition?”
When Dojun asked, MouseSucker nodded.
“Just helping you doesn’t benefit me. It needs to be a partnership, not one-sided.”
“You’re right.”
“You need to reach a certain level on your own. In short, prove that I’d want to work with you.”
MouseSucker’s eyes turned sharp, making Dojun a bit tense.
“I’ll help you with the process. I’ll give you the know-how.”
“Then…”
“But those who rise without help, still rise. I only work with people like that seriously.”
The streaming world was extremely competitive.
There were games, mind games, drama, and social issues to keep up with.
Even though you’re alone on screen, you needed others to really grow.
“You’ll face walls. How you break through those walls is different for everyone. Some do it with skill, others with luck. I’ll meet you again at that wall.”
“What is that ‘wall’?”
“At least 300,000 subscribers on AllTube.”
That was higher than expected.
It wasn’t something you could get overnight.
But now Dojun had a clear goal.
‘300,000 subscribers…’
It was a test.
A way to prove he was worth partnering with.
MouseSucker wouldn’t help him if he didn’t reach that level.
‘Even this is a huge favor.’
As Lee Junseong said, this was a chance.
Once he was on track, MouseSucker would help him grow more.
“So? Want to try?”
Without hesitation, Dojun nodded.
“I’ll try streaming.”
MouseSucker smirked.
He could see Dojun’s determination.
***
Dojun acted quickly.
He asked Lee Junseong if he could get an old capsule. Everything moved fast.
“Good decision. I promise — you’ll do well.”
The next day, the capsule arrived.
Workers set it up in Dojun’s room.
He and Lee Junseong sat together to talk about their plans.
“Since you’re going to stream, the first step is picking a platform. Got any in mind?”
“Not yet. I don’t know much about this, so I wanted your advice.”
Normally, Dojun didn’t ask for advice. But streaming was different.
Lee Junseong was a true game and streaming fanatic.
Dojun knew he’d have a good perspective.
“There are two main platforms: AlphricaTV and SwitchTV.”
“What about AllTube?”
“AllTube lets you broadcast from both Alphrica and SwitchTV. Korean streamers usually choose one of those two.”
“Each must have pros and cons, right?”
“Of course. Let me start with AlphricaTV.”
Dojun nodded, and Junseong explained seriously.
“AlphricaTV’s strengths are donations and freedom of content.”
“Donations and freedom?”
“Yeah. It’s because of the viewers’ age and preferences.”
AlphricaTV’s average viewer was about five years older than SwitchTV’s.
“That’s because AlphricaTV came out first in Korea. Early viewers stuck around. So the age group is older.”
Older viewers usually have jobs.
And people with money donate more.
So AlphricaTV had more “big donors” than SwitchTV.
“And that’s also because AlphricaTV allows more adult content.”
SwitchTV had stricter rules.
Even without 19+ content, violent language or scenes could get you banned.
“Donors usually fall into two groups: those who want healing and those who want excitement. Most people want excitement.”
Internet streams offered content that was more intense than TV.
That’s why many younger people stopped watching regular TV altogether.
“AlphricaTV gives more freedom. But SwitchTV has its own strengths too.”
It was less extreme but more focused on healing and entertainment.
Viewers were calmer. Many streamers preferred solo content there.
“It’s good for people who want to steadily grow their own style.”
Donations weren’t weak either.
Unlike AlphricaTV, which mostly had Korean donors, SwitchTV had a global audience.
Sometimes, big donations from abroad could be bigger than those from AlphricaTV.
“Of course, to reach that point, your content needs to be fun and unique enough to attract foreigners.”
“I get the gist. I knew some of this already. But now tell me the downsides.”
Dojun pressed him, and Junseong nodded.
“You’re right. That was all basic info. Now I’ll tell you the real problems. First, AlphricaTV has a ‘pyramid structure’ for income.”
The top 2% of streamers took almost all the income.
The remaining 98% earned next to nothing.
“It’s become a society of connections. If you don’t know the right people at the top, it’s hard to grow.”
“Hm…”
Dojun quietly swallowed.
He had been considering AlphricaTV.
“If you haven’t followed the streaming world closely, it’s hard to know this stuff. That’s why I don’t really recommend it to newcomers.”
“So your recommendation is SwitchTV?”
“For now, yeah. But it also has a big problem.”
Junseong looked serious.
“A problem?”
“Yeah. It’s something that could explode at any time.”
“Really? What is it?”
“It’s not fully revealed, but most streamers and viewers can feel it. Something’s off with how it’s run.”
SwitchTV had a hidden time bomb that Dojun didn’t know about.
