People Are Earning $7k From One TikTok Live Stream: Unlocking The Unconventional New Trend Of NPC Streams

By Hernán Panessi via El Planteo.

A woman spasmodically jolts before a camera, spouting random phrases. "Ice cream so good," "Ice cream so good," "balloon," "gang gang," "gang gang," "gang gang." Once, twice, a thousand times, as many times as necessary. There's something fascinating, something repulsive and something in this "Matrix glitch" that is magnetically weaving a new digital gig.

Welcome to the world of NPC streams, a realm you've likely already stumbled upon.

Emerging from the hyper-processed sausage factory that spits out some TikTok trends, the most lurid and cringe-inducing trend to date has surfaced: live broadcasts where streamers emulate digital characters, literally acting as non-player characters (NPCs).

Their mode of expression is as rustic, rudimentary and one-dimensional as it can get. These streamers mimic the characters that feature in the background of video games, the non-player characters not controlled by humans, as opposed to the central characters in the game. Their existence is defined by repetitive and insignificant actions.

How much does an NPC streamer make?

The flip side of this weird trend can be quantified. NPC streamers like Pinkydoll, a leading figure in the segment, are not only seeing the follower counts surge but also their bank accounts fatten. Some of these streamers have disclosed making between $5,000 and $7,000 per broadcast. Users "donate" some "coins," and the "NPC" ups their interactions. This exchange keeps the flame of this glitch alive.

The success of NPC streams can be a bit challenging to theorize about. The fascination is palpable, but it certainly aligns with the expansion of the AI universe. Their popularity also rests in the current rise of emotionless, personality-less and subjectivity-less human shells, all cooked up under the heat of AI.

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NPC streams contribute to the advancing theory that we're at the end of the modern era and the onset of a digital uprising. The idea of controlling a character finds its maximum - and paradoxically, its most minimal - expression here.

Are NPC Stream Sexual In Nature?

The beauty, action and customization of NPC streamers have led to a certain degree of sexualization. "I think the ones who are donating are sadists," content creator Tita Bruh jokingly said on YouTube after watching a stream of girls flinging sheets. After testing the waters with her own NPC stream, Tita immediately harvested 131,000 "likes" and raised around $5,712.77. She does not rule out doing it again.

The scenario somewhat resembles the dynamics of adult entertainment, where tokens are sent to performers who perform live. "It's the same logic as the webcam industry: tokens are sent and something happens in return. But this is TikTok, activated for 'normies,' for ordinary people. No porn, suitable for all audiences. However, the logic is the same: it's what's been happening with porn streams but, let's say, for normal people," says Juan Ruocco, a "digital trash" journalist - as he likes to be defined.

How Bleak Is The Future?

If the future promises utopias amplified by AI, NPC streaming sees us reverting to a primitive and peculiar state: being less sophisticated versions of ourselves.

Durgan A. Nallar, a video game developer and digital world enthusiast, notes the irony of this pre-programmed and predictable behavior transcending the digital limit and becoming a way of life for some influencers.

"It's a cultural circus that blurs the line between the real and the simulated. It's a disturbing and fascinating phenomenon, a sign of the digital times in which we live," concludes Nallar.

Thus we find Pinkydoll and a multitude of other streamers, appearing as robots while being wholly human. As she chants "Yes, yes, yes" like a parrot, she reels in fresh and crisp interactions to the beat of an incomprehensible rhythm.

And this rhythm, sooner or later, is the one we'll all be dancing to.

This article has been adapted from its original version for US markets.