Twitch Will Start Selling Games Directly on Site

Lizzy Finnegan

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Mar 11, 2015
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Twitch Will Start Selling Games Directly on Site

Five percent of sales will go to the streamers if they have opted into the program.

In a blog post today [https://blog.twitch.tv/coming-soon-get-it-on-twitch-9c829cae6ac1?sf58855097=1#.pajhd2zhb], Twitch announced that stream viewers will be able to purchase games directly from Twitch. If you happen to be watching a stream and want to pick up the game, you can click a "buy now" button below the stream, assuming it's one of the available games. While the offer for any available game will be featured on all streamer pages when that game is being played, only partnered streamers will be able to receive a 5% cut.

The service will be available sometime in Spring 2017.

[Vimeo=205813495]

"People already use Twitch as a way to 'demo' games and get a feel for what they're all about before committing to a purchase. Soon, when you watch a stream, you'll see an option to purchase below the video on the channel page if the game or in-game content is available on Twitch," the post reads. "When you buy, if the streamer is a partner who has opted into the program, he or she gets a 5% share of the revenue. So now you can help support your favorite partnered streamers just by getting a game on their channel."

The games can be downloaded and played via the Twitch launcher or on the publisher's service, like Uplay.

While a list of games was not provided, Twitch did reveal its launch partners: Ubisoft, Telltale Games, Digital Extremes, Hi Rez Studios, Double Fine Games, Fred Wood, 11Bit, Jackbox Games, tinyBuild, Raw Fury, Devolver Digital, Gambitious, Trion Worlds, Blue Mammoth Games, iNK Stories, Versus Evil, Proletariat, Paradox Interactive, Vlambeer and Campo Santo.

Any game purchased for more than $4.99 will also come with a "digital loot box with a special reward," called a Twitch Crate.




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TilMorrow

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Jul 7, 2010
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I honestly don't see how a game streaming site can go from what it is to an online digital content storefront for games, you'd think there would be a conflict of interest and the risk of favouritism or selective promotion through their advertising monetisation. *rollseyes* I guess they want some of the money that g2a is getting from Twitch streamers constantly promoting links and minor discounts on their streams though they'll still have a hard time competing with Steam and GreenManGaming as legitimate distributors. After all the old adage goes "Why buy at full price when you can get a discount?". Also the idea of having to download another launcher (or the shock horror devil that is Uplay) is sure to put some people off.
Especially when most of their launch partners also use Steam as a publishing platform.
 

Jacked Assassin

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Jun 4, 2010
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Twitch was bought by Amazon.

I'm surprised that they also didn't add that everyone had to buy it from Amazon.

That would probably make for an interesting situation since Amazon sells sex toys.

Would Twitch end up with an Adult Section if Amazon sold Pornographic Video Games?
 

RaikuFA

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Jacked Assassin said:
Twitch was bought by Amazon.

I'm surprised that they also didn't add that everyone had to buy it from Amazon.

That would probably make for an interesting situation since Amazon sells sex toys.

Would Twitch end up with an Adult Section if Amazon sold Pornographic Video Games?
I doubt it, cause that'd mean that they have to put Yandere Simulator on there and twitch hates that game for some reason.
 
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Jacked Assassin said:
Twitch was bought by Amazon.

I'm surprised that they also didn't add that everyone had to buy it from Amazon.
You do need an Amazon account to get it, though the digital downloads are coming through either the Twitch launcher or 'existing services like UPlay.'

They're trying to put themselves in as middlemen, but I'm not sure how well it's going to work if Twitch doesn't reflect the sales that are constantly happening on various digital distribution platforms.
 

Bedinsis

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I'm a bit surprised to see TellTale on the list of developers. The argument against let's plays as advertisement for the game in question has always been that if it is a plot heavy game then it won't work, since the viewer has already gotten the essential parts of the experience. Telltale would be firmly in that category, yet they are now willing to actively encourage the streaming of their titles.