TikTok's latest viral trend isn't choreographed dance moves, lip-syncing performances, or Venetian women screaming at pickpockets. In fact, most people don't really know how to explain it. But the words of the content creator who made this trend go viral are instantly familiar to her legions of fans. “Ice cream is so good. Gang gang. Yes, yes, yes.”
That flow of gibberish, often accompanied by robot-like body movements, is part of TikToker PinkyDoll's regular performance as a kind of flesh-and-blood non-playable character, or NPC.
NPC content is a niche category that incorporates elements of ASMR and is said to have sexual overtones, and is a growing trend on TikTok, attracting millions of views and featuring popular content such as PinkyDoll and Cherry. It generates thousands of dollars per day for top practitioners like Crush.
Here's what you need to know about TikTok's viral trends.
What is an NPC video?
According to the website Know Your Meme, the term NPC comes from the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, where it was used as a way to describe a character whose actions were directed by a game master. It has since gained attention in the video game community. There, it refers to characters with programmed interactions and movements that gamers cannot control, such as the pedestrians in Grand Theft Auto.
How do NPC streamers make money?
During TikTok livestreams, users can comment on their favorite content creators through the comments section of the livestream in the form of online “stickers” in the form of ice cream cones, roses, birthday cakes, and other items that pop up on the screen. You can send virtual gifts.
Users purchase stickers using TikTok coins, which are purchased using real-world money on the platform's app or website. The virtual tokens are available in packages, with the smallest bundle of 70 TikTok coins costing 74 cents and a package of 7,000 coins costing $74, according to the platform's coin recharge page. Gifts such as flower stickers cost just 1 TikTok coin, while stickers depicting a pair of lions cost him 34,000 TikTok coins.
NPC creators will take home 50% of the value of all stickers received during the livestream. You need to convert the stickers into gift her coins and exchange them for “digital diamonds”. Insiders say that if the creator has diamonds worth $100, he can redeem them for real money. report.
Screenshot of a TikTok livestream by @vicblends
TikTok will retain the remaining 50% of the revenue from virtual gifts “after deducting payments to app stores, payment processors, and other adjustments required under the provisions below.” [TikTok’s] Terms of Service and Policies,” a TikTok spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch.
NPC performers like PinkyDoll often respond robotically to virtual gifts received during livestreams with synthesized sounds and catchphrases reminiscent of the stickers being sent, encouraging fans to send more. The resulting word soup, along with the creator's repetitive body movements, resembles the behavior of her NPCs in video games.
How much can NPC content creators earn?
Top creators in the NPC category earn thousands of dollars a day.
PinkyDoll makes $2,000 to $3,000 per stream and up to $7,000 a day from her videos, she recently told The New York Times. Streamer Kai Senato recently revealed in a video he posted on video game streaming platform Twitch that he made nearly $6,000 by going live on TikTok.
Why do people watch videos of NPCs?
There is a lot of speculation online, with little agreement, about what users find appealing about NPC videos. According to some creators and viewers, the fun comes from the fast pace of the videos and the satisfaction they feel from controlling the on-camera reactions of their human girlfriend NPCs in real time.
Popular NPC TikTok creator Cherry Crush said: “It's very exciting. It's fast-paced and very repetitive, so people have to sit and watch to see what the next reaction is, or if I break character, or if I break character. “We're checking to see if there are too many gifts and things get ruined.” In an interview with the New York Times.
Another reason why this video is gaining attention is because it incorporates elements of ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response). ASMR is a practice that emphasizes tactile sounds when people whisper into microphones or use various objects, giving some listeners a tingling sensation. their bodies.
For example, in some of her videos, Pinky Doll uses an iron to break popcorn kernels or slams acrylic nails against each other to create sounds that some users find soothing.
Other social media users claim that NPC's content has sexual elements involving control of the performers' movements and words, some of whom are attractive women.
“As soon as I saw this NPC trend, I knew it was sexual and fetish,” said one Twitter user. Said Tweet.
Some creators deny claims that their content is even remotely sexual.
Cherry Crush told the New York Times, “I don't make my show sexually provocative at all.” “I always thought it was interesting and interesting.”
Elizabeth Napolitano
