Most of us by now will have heard of streaming and probably will have streamed something live previously. Some may even understand how big streaming has been for the games industry and continues to be. People have streamed themselves playing games for over a decade now, with the majority broadcasting PC and console titles, but the market could once again change with mobile gaming on the rise.
Twitch, formerly Justin.TV, is the biggest streaming platform on the planet, with Mixer and YouTube Gaming also being big players in the increasingly popular industry. Twitch itself has over 2 million active broadcasters on its platform, with millions of others tuning in to watch streams on a regular basis. With mobile gaming improving massively in quality over the last few years it comes as no surprise that it too is now starting to make its move in the world of live streaming.
First of all, streaming direct from smartphones and tablets is becoming increasingly easier. There are apps out there which assist in the process, and the YouTube Gaming app itself is very simple to operate. Users just have to click go live and select their desired settings, and voila, they will be broadcasting live to their audience. With everyone being able to stream without having to load up a PC, with various screens, or a games console, it has become an attractive proposition to do it via mobile, from wherever they like.
We’re also seeing game developers support the trend of live streaming mobile games too. Previously companies such as Supercell, who are behind huge mobile game titles such as Clash of Clans, actively promoting their games on streaming platforms such as Twitch. This allows their games to gain attention, but if the developers are active in streaming companies, they can reach out to influencers and offer them perks to broadcast themselves playing their titles.
Fortnite and Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds are two games which when released, immediately became extremely popular across all streaming platforms. As things stand, they are both currently in the top three titles streamed on Twitch, and now they have both made their debut on mobile too. If a game in console or PC form is an extremely popular title in the streaming world, it’s likely others will enjoy watching people stream from mobile too, especially when the quality of the broadcast isn’t any different.
For mobile gaming, streaming is going to be huge, as there are just so many options on the table. There are exclusive mobile games which have become highly addictive that people have already enjoyed being streamed live such as Pokémon Go. Strategy games have also become very popular on mobile too over the last decade or so, with gamers enjoying titles such as Clash Royale and there is even the scope for players to stream themselves playing slot games, as they now play more like video games than ever before.
Streaming is also being embraced in other forms of gaming like the online casino and gambling sector. The last year has seen an influx in casino game streamers, with the majority purely doing it to make money from affiliate income. They build up a following and rapport with their audience in order for them to come back and watch on a regular basis. In the info section on both YouTube and Twitch they place their affiliate links and make either a CPA or Revenue Share commission. Casinos have started to take streamers very seriously as a source a player acquisition due to the numbers they can bring in as seen with GVC’s party casino. They have a number of streamers that are affiliated to them who stream games on their casino platform and this has been proven to be an effective marketing platform for regular player sign ups. Its only a matter of time before we see many more streamers and casinos alike utilizing this form of advertising.