Google Announces YouTube Gaming to Compete With Amazon's Twitch

Advertisement
By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 13 June 2015 10:35 IST
YouTube on Friday said it is creating an online arena devoted to video game play, jumping onto a hot "e-sports" trend and challenging Amazon-owned Twitch.

YouTube Gaming will debut in Britain and the United States in the coming months, according to product manager Alan Joyce.

"YouTube Gaming is built to be all about your favorite games and gamers, with more videos than anywhere else," Joyce said in a blog post.

Advertisement

"From 'Asteroids' to 'Zelda,' more than 25,000 games will each have their own page, a single place for all the best videos and live streams about that title."

YouTube Gaming will also have channels devoted to specific game publishers or personalities.

Advertisement

A preview of the new YouTube offering, including game content creators such as 'iHasCupquake' and 'NadeShot,' will be showcased at a major Electronic Entertainment Expo extravaganza next week in Los Angeles.

"Live streams bring the gaming community closer together, so they've put them front-and-center on the YouTube Gaming homepage," Joyce said.

Advertisement

"In the coming weeks, YouTube will launch an improved live experience that makes it simpler to broadcast your game play to YouTube."

Google vs Amazon
The popularity of gaming has given rise to new genres of YouTube videos including watching play, speed-runs, walk-throughs, and even segments on cooking gamer-themed delectables.

Advertisement

Along with the YouTube Gaming website accessible through web browsers, there will be an application for mobile devices.

Leading video game play broadcasting platform Twitch will have a strong presence at E3, with plans to live stream press conferences, demos, interviews and more.

Twitch will augment its English-language broadcast with regionalized shows from partners including Rocket Beans TV in German and Jeuxvideo in French.

US online retail giant Amazon last year bolstered its Internet video presence, whistling past Google to snatch up Twitch and its huge audience for live-streamed gaming.

The acquisition was one of the largest in Amazon's history: $970 million in cash for the three-year-old Internet company.

Twitch Interactive streams games being played for non-playing viewers to watch, and hosts gaming events.

It allows viewers to chat with the players and others, lending it some of the qualities of social networking websites, and it sells advertising to generate income.

YouTube owner Google had reportedly been working out a billion-dollar deal last year to buy Twitch, but backed off due to anti-trust concerns and cleared the way for Amazon to swoop in.

The take-over came with a boom in online viewing of real-time video game or computer game play as "e-sports" attract growing crowds as spectator events.

PlayStation console maker Sony made an alliance with Twitch in 2012 to let gamers broadcast online play live for others to watch, and made the feature one of the selling points of its successful new PlayStation 4 model.

Microsoft also put Twitch capabilities into its new-generation Xbox One console.

Twitch bills itself as the world's largest video game broadcasting network.

Millions of people monthly watch video game play streamed using Twitch, which boasts partners such as the Electronic Sports League, Major League Gaming and IGN Pro League.

San Francisco-based Twitch was created by the founders of live video streaming platform Justin.tv Justin Kan and Emmett Shear.

TwitchTV launched in 2011 and has made a partnerships to get money-making video and display ads to weave in during breaks in live game play.

Twitch "broadcasters" range from professional gaming leagues to individual players.

 

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Apple Brings New Wallpaper, Apple Music Playlist Ahead of WWDC 2026
  2. New iPhone 18 Pro Leak Suggests It Could Arrive in These Battery Variants
  3. iPhone 17 Won't Start After Battery Runs Out? Apple Says iOS 26.5.1 Fixes It
  4. Computex 2026: Top 10 Product Launches and Announcements on Day 1
  5. Sony Bravia 7II 4K TVs With Cognitive Processor XR Debut in India
  1. Nothing Ear 3a, CMF Buds Neo Spotted on Regulatory Databases Ahead of Anticipated Debut
  2. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra Could Feature Vastly Different Designs, Leaked Dummy Units Suggest
  3. Hisense U7SE 144Hz ULED Mini-LED TV Series With Up to 100-Inch Screens Launched in India: Price, Features
  4. Vivo Y500 Surfaces on Bluetooth SIG Database With Multiple Model Numbers, Could Launch Soon
  5. Asus Ascent QN10 Mini PC With Snapdragon X2 Elite Chipset Showcased at Computex 2026
  6. MSI Showcases New Katana, Venture Laptops and Crosshair A16 HX MLG Edition at Computex 2026
  7. Acer TravelMate P6 14 AI and P2 Spin 14 Unveiled, Acer TravelMate X2 15 and X2 14 Tag Along
  8. Sony Bravia 7II 4K TVs Launched in India With Cognitive Processor XR, Dolby Vision: Price, Features
  9. Asus TUF 16 (2026) Gaming Laptop Unveiled Alongside ExpertBook B5 Flip G2 (2026) at Computex 2026
  10. Asus Zenbook 14, Vivobook S14, Vivobook S16, Vivobook S14 Flip and Vivobook S16 Flip Launched at Computex 2026
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.