Welcome back to Cream Basics! This is Part 2 of my short "What YouTube Gaming Needs" series. If you haven't seen Part 1, check it out below! Otherwise, let's get right back to it--here are some of my other hopes for the upcoming YouTube Gaming service:
Reasonable Paid Options As it stands right now, Twitch gives you the option to either Follow your favorite streamers for free or pay $5 per month to Subscribe to them. Following is just like YouTube's (free) subscription system, simply allowing you to find all of your faves in one place. Spending the money to Subscribe on Twitch, though, grants special bonuses like Subscriber-only emoticons, private chat, and other privileges that streamers can customize. YouTube has never had such a paid tier, and I'm not sure if they need to--just look at how well some YouTubers do with the basic subscription system. If YouTube decides to forgo a paid option altogether and makes the typically paid features on Twitch accessible for all on YouTube Gaming, it would be a no-brainer for streaming fans to switch platforms. As long as the same people are doing the streaming, it all comes down to user experience. But if YouTube Gaming does include a paid tier, it'd have to be one that has more/better features than Twitch's. Great Mobile App This is something that both Twitch and and YouTube are currently lacking. If YouTube Gaming is going to be a smash, it'll have to have a better-functioning app than YouTube itself. Fingers crossed YouTube takes this into consideration--there are so many people who watch videos on their phones and tablets, and it'd be a huge missed opportunity to fail to service them. Fully-featured Chat One issue many streamers have with the current YouTube streaming option is its slow, feature-lite chat. Now that YouTube plans on making a dedicated effort in the streaming business, however, it's essential that they study Twitch's chat extensively and build upon it (or, at the very least, match it equally). This means lightning-fast speed, specialized and customizable emoticons, moderators, etc. YouTube has to make the chat a feature that's appealing to both the streamer and the viewers, and that'll take some serious improvement over the current model. Distinct style from both YouTube and Twitch Lastly, but perhaps more essentially, YouTube Gaming will need its own identity and aesthetic. It would be a mistake to simply make a second YouTube site reserved for streaming. YTG needs to be something cool and unique, something that has a slicker layout than Twitch but that's just as accessible as YouTube. Google owns YouTube (and subsequently YouTube Gaming), so I have no doubt that their search engine will be on point. What's really in question is design and accessibility. These guys have millions to invest in top notch design companies, and they also have the advantage of being late to the party and seeing what they're up against, so that should be a smooth step as well. We'll get to see how it all goes soon--YouTube Gaming is in a great position to rip the rug out from under Twitch if they consider every one of these essential facets of launching a solid streaming service. Those are all of my thoughts so far, but I'll be sure to post more on it as more info is released on the platform--and you'd better expect Impressions and Comparison pieces once it comes out! Until Monday, though, have a great weekend guys, and thanks for following me on this great blogging journey! Peace!
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Welcome back guys! You know, I really only started following some of my favorite YouTubers on Twitch last month. Once I did, though, I was hooked. There's something really relaxing about watching other gamers play through some of your favorite series--it's a fun, addictive experience. The only things that bug me about Twitch are: 1) It's dearth of quality options and 2) its less-than-stellar mobile app. That being said, it's a great platform, and millions of gamers and spectators flock to it on a regular basis. YouTube knows this and, seeing no other major platforms going up against Twitch, decided to throw its hat in the streaming ring. It's supposed to release this summer, and though we don't have too many specifics of how it'll work and what YouTube features it'll take advantage of, a guy can dream, right? In fact, I thought up so many possibilities that I decided to make this a two part mini-series. Check back tomorrow for even more ideas! Here are some of my hopes for YouTube's answer to Twitch, and I'll continue covering any updates as the info becomes available.
Video Quality Options YouTube Gaming needs to have the same quality options available as regular YouTube. Do that, and it'll already have a step up on the competition. Infinitely Archived Content Twitch allows for regular broadcasters to archive their past broadcasts for 14 days before they're automatically deleted, and Twitch partners get 60 days. YouTube, however, never automatically deletes videos--just look at the oldest vids on some of your favorite channels and you can see some dating back to 2006 and 2007. Could the same concept be feasible for YouTube's dedicated streaming service? Well, why not? Even if there are some technical limitations, YouTube Gaming could surely at least extend the life of archived streams far past two months. Easy YouTuber Transition Interestingly, many gamers on Twitch also have YouTube channels. This must cut especially deep for YouTube as a company (Google) since it's seeing millions in potential profits go next door. For YouTube Gaming to win back its native streaming content creator base and convince them to stay on YouTube for all of their streaming needs, YouTube will have to make the transition between services as simple as possible. The best option? Allow everyone who has a YouTube account to connect it to YouTube Gaming (like your YouTube account is connected to your G-Mail), thus eliminating the need for make a new account. Established YouTubers can then tell their audiences "Hey guys, check me out on YouTube Gaming too! Just type in the same username and it'll pop right up" and there'll be no issue with the transfer. Viewers on YouTube will also appreciate it; those who were reluctant to follow their faves to Twitch because they couldn't be bothered to go through the "new account" process would now be able to watch them with the press of a button. Speaking of which--if the team behind YouTube Gaming is smart, they'll allow YouTubers to have a button on each of their videos (like the "Subscribe" button) that'll direct viewers right to their streaming channel. Imagine what a beautifully seamless experience that could be! That's it for Part 1 guys! Check back tomorrow (Friday) for several more features that YouTube Gaming would need to go neck and neck with Twitch. Hope you all have a wonderful night! |
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