Posted in: Games, Twitch, Video Games | Tagged:

Twitch To Become An Outlet By Selling New Titles To Viewers

Published Mon, 27 Feb 2017 14:45:26 -0600

Some interesting developments just came from Twitch that may make them a much more viable distributor to Let's Players and other live streaming gamers. Today the company announced that it would soon start a new program where they will be selling games on the site, both on the front page and through gamer's live streams. The deals would be made to those who already partner through Twitch, as well as those who become partners in the future.

Here are the basics of how this works. Let's say for example I'm watching a stream of someone like GassyMexican or GoldGlove, and that night they're playing H1Z1. If they choose to take part in the program, down at the bottom of their feeds I'll be able to see an ad for the game, available for purchase as a digital download from Twitch. The breakdown of the revenue is that developers get 70%, the streamers get 5%, and the remaining 25% goes to Twitch. The ability to play is a bit awkward, as the games bought on Twitch can be played through the Twitch Launcher or through developers/publishers' existing services such as UbiSoft's Uplay. Along with UbiSoft, other companies to confirm they're on board are Telltale Games, Digital Extremes, Hi-Rez Studios, tinyBuild, Paradox Interactive, Trion Worlds, Jackbox Games, Double Fine, and Vlambeer. People who purchase via Twitch will also receive a free Twitch Crate containing random emotes, chat badges, and Bits for the Cheering payment system.

The news is pretty cool, but also a little annoying at the fact that there's no mention of Steam or direct downloads in all of this. Chances are not everyone wants to play through yet another third party service, especially after many prominent streamers have openly complained and shown videos of Uplay failing to work or crashing their broadcasts. Hopefully, Twitch will have more answers before they fully launch the system this Spring, but if you're a current partner, this has to be good news as an additional source of income.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!