Of all the technological developments we’ve seen become ingrained into the world of gaming over the past few years, none could be said to have had quite the same immediate impact as livestreaming.
For those of you who aren’t completely au fait with the concept, livestreamed gaming allows keen gamers and gaming networks to broadcast their in-game exploits to a worldwide audience… as they’re actually playing the game. It offers gamers the chance to connect with one another like never before, but can also turn into a lucrative pastime for those who manage to build up a loyal following over time.
Perhaps just as interesting is the way in which that audience is accessing and engaging this content. According to a recent report from video platform provider Ooyala released at the tail end of last year, more than half of all video viewing is now taking place on a mobile device – notably smartphones and tablets. This means that more people than ever are using their mobile devices to watch content at any time, from wherever they are.
We’re here to run through some of the most exciting mobile developments currently out there in the world of livestream gaming. Enjoy!
Thriving communities and online streaming networks
“Amazon & Twitch logos” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by theglobalpanorama
It’s impossible to look past platforms like Twitch as the marker of quality for livestream gaming communities, allowing approximately 50 million gamers to broadcast, watch and chat with one another every single month. But what about their mobile capability?
Twitch actually made an announcement in December last year to say that they will soon be launching native streaming from a dedicated Twitch mobile app. It will be designed to allow gamers to stay in touch with their community even when they are away from their console or keyboard.
If you’re super-keen, you can even apply to be one of the first to test the closed beta version when that’s released.
Interactive livestreamed experiences
“Dealer” (CC BY 2.0) by hareshd5000
The rapid growth of the online casino industry over the past five years or so can be largely attributed to correlatory growth in the usage of mobile devices.
Online casino operators across the board have already started to integrate livestreaming into their mobile service offering, going one step further than the mere watching of games we see on other platforms: players can log in to their account and join in their preferred choice of game at a real table with a real dealer – all via a high quality video link.
If you’re on the hunt for operators who focus more on the mobile capability side of things, you can find casino games here at dedicated review sites like Casino Games. It could save a lot of time trawling through endless operators in the hope of finding the type of livestream action you’re looking for.
New kids on the block
“DAC Grand Final in the U-Bahn” (CC BY 2.0) by illustir
Of course, as you’d expect from any industry that has begun to thrive, there’s a whole host of ambitious streaming providers that are relatively new to the market and are looking to stand out from the crowd – Alively, Broadcast Me and BigVEncoder all included.
It’s a tough challenge though, no doubt about it. Considering that promising apps like Meerkat buckled under the weight of pressure from the bigger boys like Facebook Live and Twitter’s Periscope, it remains to be seen how competitive these ambitious startups can ultimately be.
