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People have been playing games for centuries, and over the centuries, games have been watched by the audience. Although many people think that video games are such an intimate way of spending time alone, or for two people, but sometimes there are more people who want to watch the games than the players themselves.
Competitive games, even in the professional arena, have existed for decades. In the 90s, a player named Dennis Fong (Thresh) played Quake and other popular first-person shooters with the support of sponsors, which earned him the title of the first professional gamer. Others followed suit.
Today, these games are much more, and professional e-sports is experiencing a period of recovery. There are other ways to draw attention to the games. Giant technology leaps, as well as the growing number of people online - along with sites like YouTube, which appeared in 2005 - have led some players to collect hundreds of thousands and even millions of viewers, just playing the game at home. Live streaming sites like Justin.tv, launched in 2007, made it possible to make daily broadcasts of popular players a daily thing. Game broadcasts have become so popular that the co-founders of the site Justin Kahn and Emmet Shire launched a separate branch for this on the Justin.tv website in June 2011, presenting a fully pro-game streaming service - Twitch TV.
Today, this site is simply called Twitch, and its popularity is growing by leaps and bounds. Prior to the official launch of Twitch.tv, it could boast 3 million unique users per month. Today, more than 45 million unique visitors visit the site each month to watch over 900,000 unique broadcasters broadcasts per month. In early 2014, the parent company Justin.tv changed its name to Twitch Interactive. And in the summer, Amazon bought Twitch for $ 1 billion.
In short, Twitch is very popular. What can be found on it?
Who needs Twitch and why?
Twitch is an Internet site that allows users to watch or broadcast live or previously recorded video of the gameplay of a streamer, that is, the one behind the gameplay. Twitch broadcasts often include audio commentary from the player, and in the video itself one can often see him too. Also there is a chat for viewers, and the streamer accepts the process in the discussion.
Games that people broadcast can be very different, from the little-known indie games to the most popular. You can find streams with popular Minecraft, StarCraft, World of Warcraft, simulators like The Sims, first person shooters like Halo or Call of Duty, fighting games and races. Sometimes you can find old school games. No restrictions.
Twitch also supports eSports events, matches between eSports players that are covered by professional commentators; Frequently broadcasts videos from events dedicated to games such as E3, BlizzCon, PAX East and PAX Prime.
You can use the site to find your favorite players, your favorite games, get an impression of the game, find new ones, just watch the stream before going to bed or in the morning, well, or learn the game tricks. You can find yourself in games, personalities of streamers or just in the social atmosphere on the site.
According to the rules of Twitch, you must be at least 13 years old, and users from 13 to 18 years old should visit the site under the supervision of parents. Twitch can freeze your account or channel if you do not follow its rules. The basic rules are well known to all: do not violate copyrights, do not incite ethnic hatred, violence, do not broadcast information from sexual content, etc., etc. As elsewhere, the site administration can block your account without giving any reason.
Any user can view live or archived videos on Twitch, but to broadcast or participate in the discussion in the chat, you need a free registration. You can mark the channels you want to watch. You can also subscribe to individual channels for a fee, which will give a number of additional bonuses. You can even make money with Twitch.
How to use Twitch?
To view most of the content, just go to from any device connected to the Internet. After registration, you will receive your own user page, of the same name with the name of the channel, such as twitch.tv/ username.
As in many social networks, each channel has its own design, such as a profile image, edited channel name and a free description. There are standard icons of sharing, and the status of the stream is indicated by the word OFFLINE or ONLINE, if the broadcast is on or the channel owner has left the video for viewing. You can also see statistics on how many people watch the channel and how many total views and subscribers the channel has.
There is a navigation bar on the left and a chat window on the right, unless your video is open to full screen. Many streamers communicate in chat and even in personal correspondence with other users. This is the level of interaction between the streamer and the audience, which takes Twitch to a fundamentally different level of social interaction than just watching someone else's game.
The site allows you to easily search and find channels by name or by simple typing. You can also search by video archive. Videos are deleted after a few days, unless the owner marks them as “saved forever.”
There are plenty of ways to access Twitch and view its content. You can access the site from a computer, gaming console or mobile device using a special application. Twitch has a number of convenient Android and iOS apps that are easy to get used to. Among the devices on which you can watch Twitch, the following:
- Playstation 4
- Xbox one
- Xbox 360
- Ouya
- Nvidia Shield
- Laptops and PCs
- Tablets and smartphones
How to stream on Twitch?
As soon as you sign up for a free Twitch account, in just a few steps you can go on to broadcast your own gameplay if you have the right hardware and software. Basically enough computer or console and programs (downloaded or embedded) to capture video and transfer it to Twitch. Twitch offers several software packages that are compatible with its requirements, as well as several handy tutorials. More we will tell about it.
Software
The software will allow you, as a rule, to choose a streaming service from a drop-down list, including Twitch, so that it is easy enough to link it to Twitch. You enter either the login information for Twitch, or the so-called stream key, which can be found on the site. It must be copied and pasted on request into the program for broadcasting.
Most of the programs will allow you to watch the preview video before you actually start the broadcast. Or you can immediately start broadcasting by specifying the game you are playing and designating the name of the channel so that your channel will appear in the search for games. You can also view previously recorded streams, highlights or bookmarks made by you, see your activity and statistics. You can connect editors who will update your channel and follow the chat, they must be Twitch users subscribed to you.
While you are in streaming mode, the panel shows the quality of your stream, which will let you know that all settings are optimally set. Among the possible ratings are “excellent”, “acceptable” and “incompatible”, and Twitch can deny you the right to stream in the case of the last assessment. Watch what you are broadcasting, as it is easy to set fire to your desktop, important data or invalid content. And remember that for the microphone to work, you also need to install the software and activate it.
In addition to broadcasting, chatting with viewers and other things that enjoy the gameplay, Twitch streamers can apply for participation in an affiliate program through an online application. If it is accepted, the partnership will provide you with bonuses in the form of potential profit from advertising and paid subscriptions, the ability to independently launch advertising so that the broadcast is not interrupted at the right time, as well as automatic conversion of content. Automatic transcoding allows streamers to be broadcast in the highest possible quality, and viewers can choose the quality so that they can watch the maximum suitable video for their device.
Partners get more opportunities in the chat - the ability to ban people, show ads and assign moderators. Partners can also edit archived videos and turn them into clips, automatically upload to YouTube and allow viewers to upload their best moments to YouTube on their own. The general requirements of the affiliate program include an average of 500 viewers on the channel, regular broadcasting at least three times a week and compliance with the rules of service. For new users, affiliate program requirements include 15,000 views on video and about 100,000 subscribers on another streaming site. The rules are quite flexible. Twitch always goes to meet those who have unique content or good ideas.
But before you reach this point, you need to start streaming on Twitch.
Broadcast equipment
The basic hardware elements required for broadcasting on Twitch are a computer or game console running on the right software, as well as good broadband Internet. If you want to connect video with you and audio commentary, you will need a webcam and microphone.
Want to play and stream? Here are the recommended system requirements for streams on Twitch via a personal computer:
- Minimum Intel Core i5-4670 or equivalent AMD processor;
- Minimum 8 GB DDR3 SDRAM;
- Windows 7 Home Premium or a newer operating system;
- Video card with support for DirectX 10 and higher.
Recommended Mac system requirements:
- At least 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5 processor;
- Minimum 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM;
- Dedicated graphics card type AMD Radeon.
You can stream even if your system does not quite comply with these standards, but your computer is modern enough to give it a try before buying a new one.
It is cheaper and easier to base a new gaming console. The latest generation of gaming consoles - Xbox One and PlayStation 4 - has built-in support for viewing and broadcasting on Twitch.
PlayStation 4 was the first of the main consoles to stream Twitch, and at the beginning of 2014, PS4 users accounted for about 20% of Twitch streamers. To share your gameplay, just press the Share button on the DualShock 4 controller, select Broadcast Gameplay, select the channel and service for broadcasting, make the necessary changes and click Start. PS4 supports broadcasting using Twitch and Ustrea, and even if you do not have an account, you can register on one of these services directly from the console.
Microsoft added the ability to stream on Twitch on Xbox One in March 2014 using the appropriate application. He has a number of additional features, including the ability to show videos with him through the built-in Kinect camera.
To stream streams from old consoles, you need an additional card that will connect to your computer using a cable. Among these cards:
- AVerMedia: Game Broadcaster HD (C127)
- AVerMedia: HD DVR / DarkCrystal HD Capture Pro (C027)
- AVerMedia: Live Gamer HD (C985)
- Elgato Game Capture HD
- Roxio Game Capture HD Pro
- Broadcast Software
Broadcasting game play on Twitch requires the necessary software to capture and encode video and audio - and at least one video game. Among the programs that can be downloaded, Twitch indicates the following:
Open Broadcast Software . This is a completely free open source broadcast program that allows you to record your gameplay or stream to Twitch and other sites. You can connect video from a webcam and microphone. True, you will need to go through quite a lot of settings, but there are also pluses - the flexibility of customizing what the audience will see on the streamer. And yes, it is free.
Xsplit Gamecaster . This is one of the easiest options that will allow you to start streaming in the shortest possible time. With this program you can record or stream video, as well as share it on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and GooglePlus. The free version is quite limited, but streaming is possible, and you will have to pay $ 15 every three months for the full version.
Xsplit Broadcaster . This is a more reliable version of XSplit. It requires more settings, but allows the user to use multiple video channels, mix audio from two sources, overlay images and organize stream in 1080p at 60 frames per second. The basic version of the program is free, like Gamecaster, but for the full version you will also have to pay $ 15 every three months.
Wirecast . This is a more full-featured program for stream on multiple servers and platforms simultaneously. You can record or stream content on Twitch, Justin.tv, YouTube and other services. It is the most expensive, it costs about $ 500 at the time of this writing, but you can try it for free.
Evolve . This is another simple streaming platform that allows you to connect two audio sequences (games and microphones) and a webcam display. The program is more designed for multiplayer games and communication with other players.
The above programs allow you to either display your game window, or part of the screen, depending on whether you are using a paid or free version. All of them support the current requirements of Twitch, and you can directly connect them to Twitch using the service login or key information.
Broadcasting using a Mac is a bit more complicated, but quite possible. According to the Twitch website, there is only one program that runs on a Mac — Wirecast, which is quite expensive.
Twitch Tools for Developers
Twitch offers a developer kit (SDK) to help developers and gaming companies incorporate Twitch support into their products. The goal is simple: so that once users can stream and share interesting gameplay with a single click. Developers can conduct analytics, increase player involvement, and so on.
The latest SDK allows you to stream gameplay even from a mobile device, including the capabilities of the front camera. By mid-2014, the following games had the built-in broadcast capability on Twitch:
- Age of Empires 2
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
- Company of Heroes 2
- Cubemen 2
- Drunken Robot Pornography
- Duel of Champions
- Firefall
- Forced
- Guncraft
- Gun monkeys
- Infinite crisis
- Maniaplanet
- Minecraft
- Overwolf
- Path of Exile
- Planetside 2
- The Showdown Effect
- Smite
- War thunder
- The Showdown Effect
Twitch also offers an API through which web developers can integrate Twitch functionality and content into their websites and web applications. Among them - the ability for users to log in using their Twitch account, information about which streams are currently on, information about the best videos, recommended channels and search capabilities of Twitch.
Where does Twitch come from?
Twitch is monetized by advertising and paid subscriptions. Basically, a Twitch membership is free, and you can watch videos for free, chat with people and stream on your own. Advertising starts immediately when you enter the channel, and periodically pops up during the stream. Twitch is a good advertising platform, because it gives access to a specific target audience that does not watch TV and spends a lot of time on the site - an average of 106 minutes every day.
For $ 8.99 per month (as of mid-2014), users can become a Turbo-subscriber, whose membership allows you to remove most of the ads and gives you a special Turbo badge, more colors in the chat and custom emoticons.
Streamers that have become members of the Twitch affiliate program can advertise on their channels and receive a portion of income for every 1000 ads viewed on the channel. Income is paid monthly for 45 days to close the month, provided that the streamer has accumulated 100 dollars of income. Partners also have other bonuses, including priority issue on the first page and participation in promotional advertising on the site. Certain partners may also collect subscriber fees of $ 4.99 per month for streams in high resolution, access to archived videos, exclusive chat sessions, restriction of advertising and so on.
Some people manage to get financial support from Twitch. Jason Love on his channel Man_vs_Game communicates with users as he tries to "win" all the games. He quit his job and is fully supported by the Twitch affiliate program. In 2014, Twitch has about 6400 partners.
In addition to advertising revenue, Twitch raised 15 million in 2012 and $ 20 million in 2013 from investors. Now, Amazon bought the company for $ 1 billion. Some people worry that the purchase will intensify the fight for copyright, but in any case, this step is aimed at expanding the service.
Present and future gaming broadcasting
There are a certain number of sites where gamers can stream gameplay, besides Twitch. As already noted, Twitch came out of the womb Justin.tv. Others include Ustream.tv, Google Hangouts and YouTube.
YouTube, король в мире видеохостинга, собрал множество каналов, на которых пользователи делятся своим игровым контентом или так называемыми «летс-плеями» (от Let's Play), делают обзоры игр и прочее. О популярности игровых видео может говорить канал PewDiePie с более чем 27 миллионами подписчиков (даже на собственном канале YouTube подписчиков меньше), это абсолютный рекорд.
Twitch — не единственный в своем роде, но это крупнейший сайт, полностью посвященный потоковому вещанию игрового процесса и связанного с этим контента. Его популярность растет как на дрожжах.
The article is based on materials .
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