5 Tips for Hosting in a Game-a-thon

Play games, raise money, save lives. It's a simple formula where everybody wins. Do you have a computer? Do you have a webcam? A connection to the internet? A handful of games to play--and a passion to play them?

If so, then it's time to press Start.

If you're like me, you may have tuned into Twitch.tv and watched a streaming game once or twice before. But with fundraising events like "Extra Life", you can now tune in, watch the games, and donate money to a good cause -- or what's more, host in a game-a-thon yourself and be a middleman for gamers around the globe, or even just your circle of friends, to give back and help those in need.

While watching people play videogames at your own leisure is easy, hosting in a 24-hour game-a-thon is another story. If you've ever been interested in taking part in events like Extra Life and want to use your passion for gaming in a positive way, here are 5 tips to power you through hosting and playing videogames every second of the day that you at first may not consider before you boot up the livestream.

1. Prepare food ahead of time. You'll be playing videogames for 24-hours, with nary a break in between. Your stream won't be turning off for an entire day, and although you can use the toilet or answer the doorbell when necessary, having good food on-hand ready to eat is always a bonus that will fuel you at every hour. Make some sandwiches, prepare something that can be warmed easily, and make sure it's enough for an entire day. And no, Hot Pockets don't count.

2. Whatever you drink, don't let it be an energy drink. Sure, the idea of having a huge boost of awareness might seem like a good idea when you're writing a paper at university at 2 a.m. the day before it's due, but in the case of playing videogames in front of a live audience, an energy drink will only serve to turn you into a zombie. As is widely known, they cause a heavy crash after they've served their purpose, and if you've got a good 4 more hours at 4 a.m. with nothing but a time delay in your trigger finger, it's gonna be a slow and painful slog to the finish line. And nobody wants to watch that (usually).

3. Avoid complex puzzle games. I know this sounds discriminatory toward plenty of games out there that require a lot of thought and provide a good amount of satisfaction upon completion, but if you ever get truly stuck on a game and can't advance because you just don't have the time or patience or entertainment value to make that puzzled struggle worth watching, it'll only make your stream less exciting in the long run. Make sure you can actually play the games you choose to broadcast, and that they're fun to watch at the same time.

4. Organise your timetable. On top of playing games you're fairly good at, also make sure to space them out throughout the day. Start the stream with a game that'll capture viewers and you can play well, and, later on, after playing a few games you might not be so great at, fret not, for you'll have a game you know you can play coming up soon. Take your favourites and space them out. And especially make sure to place simpler games in the dead of night when your skills will be at their lowest. Oh yeah, and be sure at times to ask the audience what they want you to play--have a few games on hand to give them a say in what comes next. You are asking for their donations after all!

5. Don't play a Final Fantasy. Okay, I'm reaching for hits on that one. What I really mean is, much the same as not playing puzzle games, don't play games that rely on following a complicated plot. Final Fantasy is probably the best choice for these types of games, actually, if only because they're the most known, but more often than not if you choose a game like them you're gonna get bogged down in a process where viewers won't be enticed to sit around and watch you simply because they don't have the time to do so. It's like watching someone read an interactive novel. It'll have its moments... but that's not really the mission on hand with a game-a-thon. Your objective is to game as much as you can to raise as much as you can, and to do that you need an audience who can enter your livestream and find context in the game you're playing within a matter of seconds. Not to say a long RPG can’t provide this, but… well...

There's a method to the charitable madness if you pay close enough attention. Don't think the most successful of streamers haven't followed these rules to an extent, let alone many more of their own.

The biggest tip I can really provide however is to learn from your own mistakes and host a game-a-thon yourself by taking part in events such as Extra Life or the handful of others out there. Find the motivation to just get your stream running and the rest will come naturally--I've done this myself and I guarantee it to be true. Whether you make your own sandwiches or play Final Fantasy X-2 to your hearts content, so long as you're up and streaming at 3 a.m., even with only an audience of 1, the show needs to go on. If not for the children then just for the passion you've harboured in gaming. I urge you to give a game-a-thon a try--from either side of the screen.