Like so many of you and the folks in your social circles, I love playing video games. And when I’m not behind the controller or joystick, or out, I tend to whip out my phone to watch other people play the video games I own or plan to own. (Yes, there’s a market for people who would rather be in front of a screen — sans a video-game console — than behind a controller.)
Which is why I spend an embarrassing amount of time glued to Twitch, the live-streaming service Google tried and failed to acquire last year, weekly, perhaps much to the chagrin of the few close friends I have. I enjoy watching different streamers of differing popularity, watching their reactions, see them interacting with the viewers and looking at what twitch stream packages they use to personalise their stream.
And it’s why I’ve decided to take my video-game-watching habits to YouTube Gaming, Google’s just-launched site for gamers and game-watchers and Twitch’s now-biggest rival in the live-streaming space, when its Android app eventually makes its way to the Philippines. And I say that with hours upon hours of Twitch content under my belt. My first experience was actually quite remarkable – I sat there watching a player who was bashing through GTA, while using GTA Cheats. It’s amazing how quickly he completed the game.
I’ve decided to take my video-game-watching habits to YouTube Gaming, Google’s just-launched site for gamers and Twitch’s now-biggest rival.
YouTube Gaming is a lot like the YouTube you’re familiar with on the Web, except searches point you to game-related content first and the front page is populated with live channels and tailored towards game discovery. And did I mention that it already looks more polished and attractive than Twitch? It does indeed, and it even lets you rewind a live stream after the fact, though you’re limited to only viewing content you’ve missed over the past two hours.
YouTube Gaming is YouTube for a specific audience, and it works great. For now, that may be enough to poach Twitch users.
YouTube Gaming is YouTube for a specific, possibly console-starved audience, and it works great. For now, that may be enough to poach Twitch users. People like myself, for example.
[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrJczjVT0Xk” width=”560″ height=”315″]
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