Streaming
Video Games on Twitch is becoming a really big thing ever since Amazon purchased Twitch for some US$970
million on Monday August 25th 2014 as stated in the article “Amazon
to buy live-stream Gaming site Twitch for $970M”, published August 25, 2014
11:55 AM PDT by Donna Tam, CNET News.
In
fact Streaming in general is getting a boost as 4G LTE Networks and Fiber Optic
Networks roll out across America and become more commonplace thanks mainly to
Google Fiber as concluded in my blog article
entitled “Gig.U
Third Annual Report - Google Fiber's American Gigabit Internet Revolution as
Jamaica starts Broadband Internet Revolution”.
Streaming
for Video Games also falls into an old prediction I made on the Geezam blog back in 2011 where I predicted
that Console Gaming in the future would only survive by going Streaming
Platforms as detailed in my Geezam blog
article entitled “Console
Gaming’s Downfall – Future is up in the Clouds”.
The
reasons are clear though; Amazon has
Steaming TV Platform called Amazon
Fire TV that they launched on Wednesday
April 2nd 2014 as explained in my blog article
entitled “Amazon
launches Amazon Fire TV Set Top and Gaming Console - Amazon Prime Delight
challenges Apple iTV, enflames Cord-Cutter's Nirvana portending Console Gaming
Renaissance”.
As
a double-treat for their Amazon Prime
Customers who purchased the US$99, for an extra US$40, they can purchase a Gaming
Controller and play Console and Handheld Quality Games online. It sold off
pretty quickly according to their accounts as noted in my blog article
entitled “Amazon
Fire TV is a bonafide hit and is out-of-stock according to Amazon - The Bamboo
powered smartphone running Amazon apps cometh”.
Amazon Purchased Twitch
– Have Streaming Video Gaming Console, Get Twitch for Social Gaming Element
Thus
by purchasing Twitch some four month later suggests Amazon is focusing on Gaming as a revenue
stream, taking focus on the Social side of Gaming that I like to call Social Gaming.
This is a mixture of Social Media, in this case Streaming online that add the
thrill of having a following that likes to watch you play Video Games.
A
strong indication that for Amazon, this
push into Gaming via the development of their Amazon
Fire TV is very serious as noted in “Amazon
proves it's serious about Gaming with Twitch buy”, published August 26,
2014 8:45 AM PDT by Donna Tam, CNET News.
Others
have already taken note, such a Microsoft, who’ve recently purchased Minecraft for some US$2.5
billion as stated in my blog article
entitled “US$2.5
billion purchase of Mojang by Microsoft - How Minecraft will help Microsoft
Reaching Future Teenage Gamers to build on Xbox Success”.
Already
Microsoft might be benefitting, as Minecraft
might give them an edge in selling the Xbox One in China, being as it’s
acceptable to the Chinese Authority as it’s a non violent educational Game as
noted in the article “Microsoft
pips Sony to launch Xbox One in China” published 29 September 2014 Last updated
at 11:40 GMTBy Dave Lee Technology reporter, BBC
News.
It
can also be a bonding experience, as a single player can connect with his
followers during a Live stream to explain parts of his Game play or a family
can play Console together as a show of family unity and further bond and get to
know each other better as noted in the article “Gamers
get paid to play on website with huge following”, published October 10,
2014, 8:50 AM, CBS NEWS, something many
audiences that like watching Live Streaming Game play may enjoy.
Aside
from being a spectator Sport, its Social Media dimension means that followers
get to log in and watch a live, sometimes personalized Gameplay, often just for
the fun of exhibitionism or sometimes to figure out strategies on how to beat a
particularly tough level in a popular Video Game.
The
very good gamers become Social Media Celebrities thanks to the iCarly Effect in
a manner similar to YouTube Celebrities as described in my blog article
entitled “Variety
Survey says YouTubers more popular than Hollywood Celebrities – Popularity
driven by Teenage Fandoms and iCarly Effect”, and like them, may go on to
make millions from Gaming Tournaments and Exhibition Matches.
How to set up a Gaming
Stream – Amazon’s Twitch will make you a Video Gaming Celebrity
The
Video Gaming Crowd is close knit grouping mainly made up of Millennials (ages
18 to 28) and Teenagers (ages 13 to 18). Getting in on the action is a simple
as getting the required OBS (Open Broadcast Software), the Game you plan to
play and stream and a webcam as explained in the article “The
beginner's guide to Game streaming with Twitch”, published Oct 10, 2014
3:00 AM by Alex Castle, PCWorld.
Some
people play professionally, earning money from Advertising or sponsorships
while others play for the thrill of being a Star. Streaming your game plays on
Twitch Gaming in one of the easiest spectator Sports for the athletically
challenged to get into by playing such Games as League of Legends as noted in
the article “Behind
League of Legends, E-Sports’s Main Attraction”, published OCT. 10, 2014 By
DAVID SEGAL, The New York Times.
There
is even some debate about whether or not Video Gaming is really a Sport and
thus deserves equal billing on channels such as, say, ESPN as noted in the
article “Can Video
Games be Sports?”, published July 11, 2014 01:30 pm By Verge Staff, The Verge.
Already,
one University, the University of Chicago, offers a scholarship in Video Gaming as stated in “Chicago
university becomes first to recognize Video Gaming as a varsity Sport... and
even offers scholarships”, published 6 October 2014 16:23 GMT By SEAN
O'HARE, Daily Mail UK.
Video Gaming in the
Caribbean – How E-Sports in Jamaica can jumpstart Video Game Development
It
won’t be long before Telecom Provider Digicel owned SportsMax here in the
Caribbean starts broadcasting Video Gaming Tournaments using their newly
acquired and currently-being-set-up Submarine Fiber Optic Network that’s being
set up purposely for Streaming Sports Content as noted in my blog article
entitled “Digicel
purchases SportsMax – Why No Games, Just Sports on Digicel's Streaming Cable TV
over Bigger, Better Network 4G LTE and FTTH”.
Television Jamaica, which is
slated to launch their Streaming TVJ Everywhere Streaming Platform in October
2014 as explained in my blog article entitled
“RJR
Communications Group Launching TVJ Everywhere - How Streaming TVJ Everywhere
will boost Advertising Revenue as Digicel and LIME TV coming” may also be
looking into the idea of Streaming Live Video Game playing, initially among
Celebrities and then eventually among regular Jamaicans in competitive Game
Tournaments.
Heck,
I’ve done my fair share of making suggestions, even suggesting a Video Game
tournament in an article on the U9000 Series of UHDTV (Ultra High Definition
Television) Smart TV, effectively a Cured 4K Television set as stated in my Geezam blog article entitled “Samsung
unveils their First Curved Ultra High Definition TV, the U9000 Series at Mona
Visitors Lodge”.
After
all, if we’re already developing Gaming Apps for smartphones as in the case of
Stephen Williams, a one-man Developer for Pandosoft
who developed a Game called TapKat
Fiesta as stated in my blog article
entitled “Stephen
Williams' Android Game TapKat Fiesta - Social Media Marketing even as VoIP for
Corporate and Enterprise untapped Telecoms Opportunity”, then it stands to
reason that we also need to tap into the Video Gaming Sub-culture that exists
in Jamaica as well.
It
would inspire other Independent Video Game Developers in Jamaica to get into Video
Game Development and earn some of that US$82 billion that the Video Gaming and
Casual Gaming Industry has been racking up since the start of 2014 as stated in
my blog article
entitled “Netzoo's
2014 Global Games Market Report - Developed World idle time Opportunity for
Jamaicans in Video Gaming Design”.
With
the trend now going towards Streaming Video Game plays, it’s imperative that
Jamaica not only develop its 4G LTE and FTTH (Fiber to the Home) Infrastructure
but also make VC (Venture Capital) funding available for Video Game Development
as they currently do for Animation as noted in my blog article
entitled “Jamaica's
World Bank's US$105 million Loan – All My Children Animation, SME VC's and
Public Sector get Second Chance at Economic Redemption”
So
Amazon’s purchase of Twitch feeds into
this E-Sports Euphoria and Global Video Gaming Sub-culture that’s becoming
harder and harder for Sports Network to ignore and is slowly going mainstream.
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