TPP Victory! The Thundershock Heard Around the World
WE DID IT! TwitchPlaysPokemon was victorious in just 16 days, 7 hours, 45 minutes and 30 seconds. With only 122 million chat messages. When can we do this again? (Oh, tomorrow, awesome!)
This note was slipped surreptitiously under the door at Twitch HQ:
All praise helix!
On the 16th day the final prophecy has finally come true. The final 6 descendants, Bird Jesus, ATV, Double-A Jay, Air Jordan, King Fonz, O Master Helix, and you, were finally able to defeat the Elite Four and show Blue who the best trainer in the world is.
Although many sacrifices were made, we shall never forget the fallen decedents who assisted us on this journey. Jay Leno and Abby K were the first to preach the gospel and open the path for the rest of the journey. Their efforts, along with the fallen on Bloody Sunday, will always be remembered for their contribution to Helix.
And we will not forget the challenges that were overcome. The gift from the Dome, Flareon the False Prophet, the struggle between Anarchy and Democracy, the… Ledge, these are the stories we will tell our Grandchildren someday.
We still bear the scars of these challenges and the grief over our fallen brothers… But we have done it. We have overcome the odds and we have done it together.
Do unto others EXACTLY what they just did to you.
All praise Helix, indeed!
It’s safe to say that Twitch Plays Pokémon has been the biggest cultural phenomenon to strike Twitch all thanks to The Creator and You, our passionate and absolutely preposterous community.
In total, the army totaling 1,165,140 of You furiously entered chat commands to guide our Hero through the perilous trials of Pokémon Red and brought the world a thrilling conclusion. Nine million onlookers watched, enthralled and perplexed, as millions of “up”, “down”, “right”, “left”, “democracy” and “anarchy” orders flooded the battlefield. No giant amorphic General has ever fought so inefficiently yet so effectively. As a result, the Event has far transcended the gameplay itself, generating life-important discussions about religion, politics, mythology, and the importance of collaboration across cultural boundaries.
As if the experience itself were not surreal enough, the interwebs were flooded with all of the trackers, memes, mythos, and even music videos from parodies to original songs set to streamed art creations. Somebody has even started a petition to make March 1st National Helix Day. (Can we please?)
May the teachings of Twitch Plays Pokémon be with You forever. We’ve had a remarkable experience with all of You, and for us here at Twitch HQ this has been a humbling experience, reminding us that that we are only approaching the precipice (Ledge?) of what is possible with our community. Twitch exists as a platform to enable anyone in the video game ecosystem to embrace their creative side. While we strive to provide all the necessary tools to elevate your endeavors, we also welcome those of you with your own tricks (and Pokédexes…Pokédices?).
Twitch Plays Pokémon has been an incredible experience, and we look forward to the next big adventure with all of you.
And to our worthy opponent, Blue — we’ll meet again…soon.
By the numbers:
The unfolding of the Story: 16 days, 7 hours, 45 minutes and 30 seconds.
Pokémasters who mashed their keyboards: 1,165,140
Commands issued: 122+ million
Peak Pokémasters watching: 121,000
Onlookers: 9+ million
Total views: 36+ million
Minutes watched: 1+ billion