We're looking for new writers to join us!

Twitch is going mobile

by: John - posted: 3/6/2014 7:30:00 AM
More On:

Twitch is one of the main ways gamers broadcast their gameplay as well as game related content. Before you would need a computer setup or one of the new consoles to broadcast in Twitch. Well, that's going to change soon.

With the increased popularity of mobile, Twitch is launching a Mobile SDK that well let developers put in Twitch support into their games. Yes, you soon could possibly broadcast your games of Angry Birds or Threes from your phone or tablet for the world to see.

The SDK not only allows the broadcasting of the game on the mobile device, but developers can tap into the front facing camera as well to do a picture-in-picture broadcast of the person playing. Chat will also be supported. It sounds like a pretty robust SDK for developers to implement Twitch into their games.

I do wish they would update their client for viewing Twitch videos as it's still doesn't seem to work when I try to view my friends when they are playing. But, maybe with this SDK out of the way, they can go back to updating the client to be more reliable.


Twitch Announces Mobile Broadcasting and Capture SDK 

Twitch hits 10 million installs of Android and iOS mobile app 

SAN FRANCISCO- March 5, 2014 - Twitch, the world's leading video platform and community for gamers, today announced the Twitch Mobile Software Development Kit (SDK). This new game developer tool will enable the live broadcasting, capturing and archiving of mobile games. With more than 10 million mobile installs of the Twitch app on Android and iOS devices, this latest innovation will help mobile gaming companies reach the Twitch community directly from their devices and across other platforms as well.

"Our vision is to provide the Twitch community with the ability not only to view, but to broadcast live video game content wherever they are, whether they're on the go or in the living room," said Matthew DiPietro, VP of Marketing, Twitch. "We've achieved that with our PC and console integrations, so the trifecta will soon be complete with our deep and concerted foray into mobile broadcasting."

The Twitch Mobile SDK will offer a number of features that align with the current Twitch broadcasting offerings available on PCs and consoles. These include:

  •   The ability to capture and broadcast gameplay video and audio
  •   Video capture from the front-facing camera
  •   Audio capture using an internal or external microphone
  •   Videos can be archived for immediate viewing on Twitch and uploaded for sharing
  •   Broadcast quality can be toggled between High, Medium, and Low settings
  •   Robust chat options including emoticons badges and chat colors
  •   The easy discovery of related broadcasts from other gamers

"Facilitating the ability to 'broadcast anywhere' by bringing live streaming functionality to mobile has the potential to convert millions of Twitch's passive viewers into active broadcasters,?? said Michael Pachter, video game analyst, Wedbush Securities. Now that Twitch has cornered the PC and console markets with turnkey broadcast integrations, given the proliferation of gaming due to the massive penetration of mobile devices, they are in a unique position to change the game once again."

Timing for the Twitch Mobile SDK has been aligned with the recent milestone of more than 10 million installs of the Twitch mobile viewing app. These installs are evenly split between the Android and iOS versions, illustrating the balanced growth and popularity of Twitch by mobile users.