Name: Sara Rautenberg
Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
Started Streaming: December 2016
Twitch: h0taruGaming
Twitter: @h0tarugaming
Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
Started Streaming: December 2016
Twitch: h0taruGaming
Twitter: @h0tarugaming
Original interview date: 08/11/2018
Despite having a busy schedule, Sara was kind enough to make time to have a chat with me about what it’s like to be a streamer and the way in which females are treated within the industry.
Hello Sara, thank you for taking the time to speak to me today. Let’s get right into the questions. When did you start streaming and what made you decide it was something you wanted to do?
Hello! I started streaming around 2 years ago. My husband urged me to stream, as he began streaming a few years before me. I started by testing the waters, using only a webcam. As I gained viewers and started to build a small following, I invested more time and money into improving my stream setup. I found that the higher quality the stream, the more viewers I gained.
How much time do you spend streaming per week?
Anywhere from 8-15 hours.
Do you ever lack motivation to stream?
I definitely used to have problems with motivation. It was tough when I had 1-3 viewers, but I tried to not let it slow me down.
How do you keep yourself motivated?
I try to not look at the numbers anymore, no matter if it’s 3 people, or 300, I should act and talk the same. I just tell myself that if I’m going to be playing games anyway, I may as well stream! What’s the worst that can happen?
What are the negatives of streaming?
You can never escape trolls. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, there are always people who pass judgement and try to feel powerful in any way that they can. I’ve had some unpleasant people in my streams but I don’t let it bother me. I just ban whoever needs to be, and move on with the stream!
What’s your favourite thing about being a streamer?
That’s a tough question! I think what I love most is the friends I’ve made from it. Streaming after a few days of being away and having people say they missed me and that they enjoy watching my stream is a really rewarding feeling. Being able to help someone get through a long day or even just provide a few laughs and some entertainment for a few hours feels great.
How do you want your viewers to feel when they watch your content?
I just want people to enjoy themselves, if they learn something, that’s a bonus.
Do you plan on going full time as a streamer?
I don’t know if I will ever become a full time streamer. The followers and subscribers I would need to be able to make money comparable to my current job would need to significantly increase. My husband and I want to start a family within the next couple of years, and that’s only going to make our cost of living rise even more, but who knows what the future holds!
Do you think streaming would change for you if you went full time? Would you treat it differently?
It would definitely change for me. At the moment, it’s more of a fun thing that just so happens to provide some income. I’d invest more time into getting sponsorships and work on my personal branding.
Do you think you are treated differently because you’re a female gamer/streamer, as opposed to a man?
I think I’m definitely treated differently. Some people come in and say sexually inappropriate things, or tell me that my photos are clickbait, just because I’m wearing shorts. Comments about my gender related to playing games is fairly rare, when it does happen, the majority of viewers will defend female gamers.
Do you think the world is moving away from assuming female gamers are the stereotypical E-Girl?
I think so, but, I also don’t know what the general public have to say about it. I think overall, the world is moving away from the stereotypical ‘gamer’ view, with bigger gamers being brought onto channels like ESPN, the general public can see that gamers aren’t what was portrayed in movies in the 90’s.
We’ve reached the final question, what do you think the future holds for streaming?
I think streaming is only going to get bigger and bigger. Especially with platforms like Facebook investing a lot of money into it. It’s being seen as a more viable way to make a living. I think there’s going to be a big shift of people getting involved in stream teams, to help each other grow. Events such as TwitchCon prove how much impact streamers have, and I expect to see more events that are similar in the future.
Be sure to follow Sara on all of her social media accounts and don’t be afraid to stop by and say hello the next time she streams.
Hello Sara, thank you for taking the time to speak to me today. Let’s get right into the questions. When did you start streaming and what made you decide it was something you wanted to do?
Hello! I started streaming around 2 years ago. My husband urged me to stream, as he began streaming a few years before me. I started by testing the waters, using only a webcam. As I gained viewers and started to build a small following, I invested more time and money into improving my stream setup. I found that the higher quality the stream, the more viewers I gained.
How much time do you spend streaming per week?
Anywhere from 8-15 hours.
Do you ever lack motivation to stream?
I definitely used to have problems with motivation. It was tough when I had 1-3 viewers, but I tried to not let it slow me down.
How do you keep yourself motivated?
I try to not look at the numbers anymore, no matter if it’s 3 people, or 300, I should act and talk the same. I just tell myself that if I’m going to be playing games anyway, I may as well stream! What’s the worst that can happen?
What are the negatives of streaming?
You can never escape trolls. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, there are always people who pass judgement and try to feel powerful in any way that they can. I’ve had some unpleasant people in my streams but I don’t let it bother me. I just ban whoever needs to be, and move on with the stream!
What’s your favourite thing about being a streamer?
That’s a tough question! I think what I love most is the friends I’ve made from it. Streaming after a few days of being away and having people say they missed me and that they enjoy watching my stream is a really rewarding feeling. Being able to help someone get through a long day or even just provide a few laughs and some entertainment for a few hours feels great.
How do you want your viewers to feel when they watch your content?
I just want people to enjoy themselves, if they learn something, that’s a bonus.
Do you plan on going full time as a streamer?
I don’t know if I will ever become a full time streamer. The followers and subscribers I would need to be able to make money comparable to my current job would need to significantly increase. My husband and I want to start a family within the next couple of years, and that’s only going to make our cost of living rise even more, but who knows what the future holds!
Do you think streaming would change for you if you went full time? Would you treat it differently?
It would definitely change for me. At the moment, it’s more of a fun thing that just so happens to provide some income. I’d invest more time into getting sponsorships and work on my personal branding.
Do you think you are treated differently because you’re a female gamer/streamer, as opposed to a man?
I think I’m definitely treated differently. Some people come in and say sexually inappropriate things, or tell me that my photos are clickbait, just because I’m wearing shorts. Comments about my gender related to playing games is fairly rare, when it does happen, the majority of viewers will defend female gamers.
Do you think the world is moving away from assuming female gamers are the stereotypical E-Girl?
I think so, but, I also don’t know what the general public have to say about it. I think overall, the world is moving away from the stereotypical ‘gamer’ view, with bigger gamers being brought onto channels like ESPN, the general public can see that gamers aren’t what was portrayed in movies in the 90’s.
We’ve reached the final question, what do you think the future holds for streaming?
I think streaming is only going to get bigger and bigger. Especially with platforms like Facebook investing a lot of money into it. It’s being seen as a more viable way to make a living. I think there’s going to be a big shift of people getting involved in stream teams, to help each other grow. Events such as TwitchCon prove how much impact streamers have, and I expect to see more events that are similar in the future.
Be sure to follow Sara on all of her social media accounts and don’t be afraid to stop by and say hello the next time she streams.