Reactions to Amazon’s purchase of live gaming site Twitch have been more positive - certainly more positive than when Google was rumoured to be buying the site. But with the mainstream moving in on live-streamed games, is it time to look for alternatives ?
Twitch has built a solid community around free and easy game streaming, but it’s not perfect. The site rolled out some unpopular changes in recent months, including the removal of archive broadcast recordings after 14 days and the muting of sections of videos that contain copyrighted music.
But Twitch isn’t the only streaming video service targeted at gamers, meaning there are other options for the Amazon averse:
YouTube
It seems fairly obvious, but YouTube has its own live streaming platform integrated directly into the main site. Google has failed to fully capitalise on live streaming gaming crowd, but Let’s Play videos on YouTube have been a big success.
Google was reportedly negotiating a deal with Twitch before Amazon entered the fray, but backed off because of anti-competitive concerns. Yet there’s no reason Google couldn’t bolster its live streaming capabilities on its own. YouTube upload support is due to be built into Sony’s PlayStation 4 in an upcoming update, while Microsoft’s Xbox One has had the ability since April.
Hitbox.tv
The most direct challenger to Twitch is Hitbox.tv, which claims to better the service on several pain-points for Twitch users - including the fact that it won’t delete archived videos.
Hitbox.tv boasts a delay of only two seconds on the streaming video between the person playing the game and their audience compared to a typical lag of 20 to 30 seconds for Twitch users - which means comments reacting to the video are actually talking about things that happened at least half a minute ago.
Hitbox.tv offers revenue sharing from adverts, like YouTube, and is open to all streaming using common PC tools like Open Broadcasting Software or XSplit.
Ustream
Ustream allows anyone with a smartphone to livestream video direct from an app. Though not solely dedicated to game streaming, Ustream will also support live streaming directly from the PS4, like Twitch, and has a revenue share model for publishers, although it is an invite-only affair which likely means it will only be viable for streamers with large audiences.
For casual free streaming it should work just fine, as long as the occasional advert thrown into the stream isn’t an issue.
GamingLive.tv
A new streaming service dedicated to gaming, GamingLive.tv is still in development. But it allows streaming from PC tools like Twitch and Hitbox without breaking the mould. A partner program for big audience broadcasters is in the works, although the site is not as developed as its competitors.
Pivotshare
Gamers looking to make money from their streams and videos might like Pivotshare’s revenue model. Placing videos behind a pay wall, viewers pay a fee for access. Publishers fully control how much the fee is and aren’t relient on adverts to make money.
The problem with paywalls is that it’s difficult to get people to pay to watch video and getting exposure from behind a closed-off area to entice people to pay and watch is also hard.
Will users ditch Twitch?
User reaction to Amazon’s purchase of Twitch has been much more favourable than those around the rumoured Google acquisition of the streaming site back in May.
Most Twitch users on Twitter reacted to the news by expressing relief that Amazon bought it, not Google, giving YouTube some competition.
I can sleep better knowing Amazon bought Twitch. This will open doors to a worthy YouTube alternative.
— Emu (@HouseAlligator) August 26, 2014
Amazon owning Twitch is not nearly as bad as the other alternative - in fact I'd say it's good news
— Petey (@thatPetey) August 25, 2014
If twitch was going to be bought, I'm pretty happy that it's Amazon. Far and away a better alternative to Google
— Gamerob (@Gamerob57) August 25, 2014
Although others aren’t nearly as convinced.
okay i think for google buying twitch instead of Amazon would have been much better alternative.
— As-i-Sed (@S3Dub) August 25, 2014
Whether Twitch will see a mass exodus of users will depend on what Amazon decides to do with the service, whether it integrates it into its existing video on-demand services and what it does with its revenue share model for top publishers.
Emmet Shear, Twitch’s CEO said that the company would be staying largely the same, with Amazon’s added support in resources and presumably massive server farm.
“We’re keeping most everything the same: our office, our employees, our brand, and most importantly our independence,” Shear stated in a blog post.
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