When Twitch entered the market in 2011, it was initially supposed to be a simple spinoff of the popular video streaming platform: Justin.tv. Within two years it had amassed over 43 million subscribers, thanks in no small part to the massive success of its video game streaming. Considering the massive success Twitch has had, it is no wonder that a bidding war in 2014 ensued with rivals Amazon and Google both vying to acquire the company. Much to the amazement of gamers and market researchers, Amazon acquired Twitch for an astonishing 970 million.
For a while it looked like Google would simply be out of the running. With no platform to rival Twitch, things looked dim. That was until Google recently announced and is currently showcasing at E3, their Twitch rival: a gamer focused YouTube. With YouTube already the world’s most popular video sharing site of all time, Google is uniquely poised to take live video game streaming to the next level. We can’t wait for the new ‘YouTube Gaming‘ to go live in Summer 2015.
For Google to effectively take on Amazon’s Twitch, it requires them to move their live game streaming to a separate area as opposed to integrating it with the rest of YouTube. This way, when you search for Fallout, you don’t have to scroll through a collection of Fallout Boy’s videos. Not that there’s anything wrong with Fallout Boy, but if you’re in the mood for post-apocalyptic gameplay then the two hardly compare.
So what can Google offer aficionados of video game streaming? Aside from the most expansive collection of videos already amassed on the planet, they are also offering 60 fps live video! For anyone who has ever had to suffer through anything under 30fps, you know that the video quality drops precipitously. For unobstructed and unencumbered video viewing, 60fps is currently ideal. Google has also promised to streamline the process from playing video games to uploading the videos to YouTube to help minimize the time between when you played and when other people can watch your progress. It should also prove useful in getting more people to upload videos if the process is pleasantly simple.
We all know that Twitch is currently the place to go to for gaming videos, but Google offers enhanced data analytics, potentially better ad revenue, and an already large viewer base on YouTube. For them to succeed in their endeavor they’re going to have to simultaneously appeal to old school gamers like myself who refer Mario and Rayman, along with newer gamers and the hardcore crowd who demand games like Halo, Call of Duty, and Fallout 4 (ok, so I jumped the gun on that one- I know it’s not out yet, but stay tuned for the TechAcute article on it to be released soon).
Personally, I think Google’s Twitch rival has the ability to be a game changer (pardon the pun). It’ll be integrated with a platform people already know and use on a regular basis. My guess is it won’t take much for the more casual gamer who has never uploaded a video to give Google’s alternative a try. Keep up to date and follow their Twitter account @YouTubeGaming or check their blog article with more information.
Easter egg: Check their pre-launch page, click on each one of the logo segments and see the logo reenacting one of the most legendary video games in gamer history.
Photo credit: Google
