Twitch to start selling video games on its site
Video game live streaming site Twitch has announced that it will begin selling games on the platform, a move which is likely to please developers who will benefit from the site’s social community and high levels of engagement.
Twitch to start selling video games on its site
The Amazon-owned company has confirmed that games will go on sale this spring and has lined up an array of triple A developers and indie publishers. The launch includes the likes of Ubisoft, Telltale Games, Digital Extremes, Paradox Interactive, Hi-Rez Studios, Trion Worlds, tinyBuild, Vlambeer, and more.
Ubisoft’s vice president of digital publishing, Chris Early, told TechCrunch that the support from the platform’s community “made it an easy decision to work with Twitch to better serve our passionate community with benefits for everyone”.
Games will be available to download and play through the Twitch launcher where Twitch Prime customers redeem games and codes or through Uplay.
Users also stand to benefit from the new setup too with the option to purchase a game below the live streams if the game is available on the platform. If the streamer is partner who has opted into the program they will receive a 5% share of the revenue.
As an incentive to encourage people to purchase games Twitch will also reward buyers with a free Twitch Crate - a digital bundle with a random selection of items. It will add to the bundle and people will see it take up to five people to do this.
In addition to generating revenue from the sale of games, the move will also enhance the overall community by allowing streamers to generate income and encourage greater developer participation.
The games will initially launch worldwide in English this spring, with pricing in US dollars. The company said it would introduce localised experiences later in the year.
Earlier this year, Dyson tied Twitch to help find and shape the next generation of engineering talent.