History was made this past weekend at TwitchCon 2016. The streaming service has made moves to further establish it as the go-to network for media sharing. At least, media sharing for people who love video games. Two big announcements were made at the event. The first was to reveal that Twitch Prime would be part of Amazon Prime, and the second was to announce an uploads function that would let people put videos on their pages. Both, naturally, have put Twitch in a position to absolutely rival YouTube.
The uploads feature was the first swing. Until now, the one place you really think of when it comes to uploading game footage is YouTube. With good reason, too. It’s the big name in video sharing, with billions of clips available to enjoy. However, Twitch has made moves to make it easier for gamers of all skill levels to use their service for gameplay videos instead. In addition to allowing people to download their previous livestream broadcasts and edit them to make varying sorts of films, it’s going to allow general uploads of footage. This means people who are already using Twitch to create videos won’t have to resort to a second site for archives. They can do everything in one place, send out messages to followers, and keep everything cohesive. It makes things easier for people creating the content, as well as for us. We don’t have to hunt for videos we like on YouTube after seeing a Twitch stream. We can just stick with the source.
Twitch Prime is another boon. With this fee, all ads are removed. We can sit back and enjoy footage without any distractions. We can get free channel subscriptions. We get something else with a subscription we might already own, and reap rewards that make it easier to watch streams and interact with the people playing or watching with us. It’ll be easier to enjoy a sense of community without annoyances.
Especially since Twitch Prime is offering free bonuses. What do you get with a monthly $9.99 YouTube Red subscription? No ads and access to exclusive programming that’s, frankly, nowhere near the level of the shows on Netflix and Hulu. With the Amazon Prime subscription that’s $99 a year and includes Twitch Prime, you get the Amazon Prime on-demand TV, movies, and music, ad-free Twitch, free games like Streamline and game add-ons like Hearthstone’ s Tyrande Whisperwind, 20% off physical games at launch, and free two-day shipping. It’s less expensive and is giving you access to better things.
Here’s another thing about YouTube. Have you ever compared the quality of the videos there to the ones on Twitch? It feels like the people who are using the former aren’t as professional as the latter. YouTube has too much of everything, with varying levels of quality. With Twitch, you tend to have people who are more focused on what they’re doing and trying to provide an experience that’s centered on the game. By giving them more tools to use and us a better way to watch them, Twitch and Amazon are further encouraging a more active and positive environment.
These moves could even lead to diversification. Right now, Twitch is the name you think of for game streaming. By allowing uploads, we could begin seeing other quality videos from people who enjoyed using the service to watch other people play, but perhaps had talents that lie in other areas. We could see Twitch growing into a respectable YouTube rival, which is good for everyone. It’ll never be a replacement, but it always benefits consumers to have alternatives when considering projects.
Twitch is growing to meet our needs. It’s giving users and viewers everything we could want. The people making videos and streaming via the service are getting a chance to share their work more easily. They’re going to be able to upload and offer a repository of videos for us to enjoy and show off their talent. People who enjoy the entertainment and social elements will be able to take advantage of Twitch Prime and Amazon Prime videos to make their experiences better and get more out of watching. Everyone benefits from this deal, and the new features could help it become a worthy YouTube rival.