Video Game History Archive

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2 entries of 164 involving Twitch Interactive

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2010-2019 The 2010s

Cultural milestones

Twitch turns watching other people play into a medium

A general-purpose live video site spun its busiest section, the gaming channels, into a separate service. Broadcasting play with a chat window running beside it grew into an industry of its own.

Key facts and significance Hide details
Who
Twitch Interactive, Justin.tv, Emmett Shear, Justin Kan
Platform
Industry-wide
Region
North America, Worldwide
Period
The 2010s

Why it matters

Spectating became a mainstream activity rather than a side effect of competition. Discovery, marketing and community all reorganized around live video, and a new occupation appeared with no obvious precedent in earlier entertainment industries: the performer whose material is the act of playing something.

Read the full entry 3 sources

Business and industry

Amazon buys Twitch and makes game video strategic

The live game streaming service was bought by Amazon for close to a billion dollars, after reported interest from Google. Watching other people play had become an asset worth competing for at that scale.

Key facts and significance Hide details
Who
Amazon, Twitch Interactive
Platform
Industry-wide
Region
North America
Period
The 2010s

Why it matters

Game video was confirmed as mainstream media property rather than a hobbyist sideline, valued at a scale comparable to television assets. It also placed a major storefront and a major broadcast channel for games inside one of the largest retail and cloud companies in the world.

Read the full entry 3 sources