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    Twitch to begin selling digital games; streamers will get a cut of sale

    http://www.theverge.com/2017/2/27/14...cut?yptr=yahoo

    It already dominates video game streaming, but Twitch is now getting into a new market: video game selling. The company will start selling games and in-game content through its service this spring, it announced today, allowing viewers to buy titles from publishers both big and independent through its streamers’ channels.

    The move opens up a new revenue stream for Twitch, but it should also benefit its legion of broadcasters, too. Partnered streamers will get 5 percent of the sale originating on their channel, the company confirmed, while 70 percent goes to the game's creator. That makes it an intriguing prospect for both big and small publishers alike, who could get thousands — if not millions — of eyeballs on their games with an easy “buy” option just inches away.

    People who do buy games through the platform will also get a handful of Twitch-specific items to sweeten the pot. Purchases through the service will come with a “Twitch Crate” — a random selection of emotes, badges, and Bits (a Twitch currency, used for animated chat GIFs, and usually bought with real money) — that should appeal to the millions of regular Twitch viewers.

    A number of publishers have already signed deals with Twitch to sell their games through the service. Bigger names are represented by companies including Ubisoft, Telltale Games, and Paradox Interactive, alongside indie studios like Vlambeer and tinyBuild. Notably absent at the moment are other big names publishers like Activision, Square Enix, and Bandai Namco. EA is also off the list, presumably because it's still focusing on its own PC game distribution platform, Origin.

    Notably, the most popular games on the service — including League of Legends, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive — were published by companies that don't yet have deals to sell their games or items through Twitch. That may change with time, or it may see a change in the games broadcast, with the temptation of receiving a percentage cut pulling some streamers over to new titles, where they could make money off in-game items sold through their channel.

    The move may also alter the dynamic between publisher and broadcaster, with companies striking new deals with prominent streamers to play specific games. Certainly, similar deals between publisher and broadcaster already exist, but the front-and-center placement of a new "buy" button on a streamer's channel may make the interaction between visibility and sales more concrete, and turn Twitch into even more of a retail force.

    In that, Twitch's new announcement makes it one of the biggest challenges yet to Steam, currently the de facto marketplace for PC games. Valve’s platform is certainly not the only digital distribution platform available to PC gamers, but it is by far the biggest, with a user base in the tens of millions. Unlike most of Steam's competitors, Twitch isn't working from a standing start — it already a similarly huge user base who interact with it daily, trust it as a platform, and speak its complicated language. And as with Steam, games bought through Twitch can also downloaded and launched through the Twitch launcher, keeping viewers within the company's ecosystem.

    Purchase options will go live in Spring, but Twitch has yet to confirm exactly when they will arrive on streamers' pages. Games will come in English first, with prices in US dollars, before with localized versions appear later this year.

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    Not to detract from the post, but from quoting from articles, only use 5 to 6 sentences. If it was a press release, then this size would be okay.

  3. #3
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    Press Release
    The Twitch community includes not only viewers and streamers, but also the game creators who provide incredible new adventures for them to experience together. The relationship between these three groups is what makes Twitch, Twitch. Now, we’re excited to announce a way that Twitch will bring them all closer together. Twitch has always been the best place to watch, share, and play games. Soon, it will be the best place to sell your games as well.

    For details, read on! To contact us about selling your games on Twitch, go to http://dev.twitch.tv/commerce

    Social discovery -> Engagement -> Purchase

    Viewers have always used Twitch as a way to ‘demo’ games before they buy. Now we’ll be giving them a way to close the loop and buy a game or in-game items they’re interested in, when and where they discover it. It works like this: an offer to purchase will appear below the video when a streamer is playing a game that’s available through Twitch. Partnered streamers who opt in will receive a 5% rev share for these purchases, and viewers who buy will receive a digital Twitch Crate that contains a randomly generated reward like an emote, badges, or Bits for Cheering. That’s pretty much the definition of a win-win-win.

    Why Sell on Twitch?

    Your community is already on Twitch, having fun watching your game. When they’re ready to buy, why send them somewhere else and risk losing them? Help them buy your game or in-game content right when they want it the most. We’ll supply the Twitch Crates to give them extra perks when they do!

    We believe there is tremendous potential in our community-first approach to game discovery and sale. It allows streamers to play and promote games they authentically enjoy and be rewarded for helping fans find new content. The community will love supporting streamers they watch by shopping local, right from the channel page they’re already spending time on. These interactions create new motivations for purchase to bring you new and highly engaged players.

    We’re proud to be launching this spring with great game creators including Ubisoft, Telltale Games, Digital Extremes, Hi-Rez Studios, tinyBuild, Paradox Interactive, Trion Worlds, Vlambeer, and more.