Back in the 2016, the then-freshly-formed Amazon Game Studios revealed its first three big titles: Breakaway, New World, and Crucible. Of these, Breakaway seemed to be the furthest along in development and Amazon's best chance to break into the growing eSports scene. Unfortunately, it seems Breakaway wasn't meant to be.
One might think Twitch is at the top of its game right now with all its recent success, including the record-breaking Fortnite broadcast with Ninja and Drake — not to mention the popularity of the game itself on the service — and this year's debut of the Overwatch League, which continues to bring in viewers each week. Unfortunately, the Amazon-owned company has still resorted to layoffs, letting roughly 25 people go this week as part of a "team adjustments" effort.
Fortnite seems to be the game everyone is talking about at the moment, but that success isn't only benefiting Epic Games. Twitch has also been running a Prime promotion that hands out free Fortnite loot to anyone who signs up, and that has caused a lot of streamers - notably Ninja, who now holds the crown as the most popular streamer on Twitch - to see an influx of subscribers. Twitch is looking to keep the gravy train going by adding more loot to its Fortnite Twitch Prime Pack, which will be available from here on out.
Twitch users who are also Amazon Prime subscribers already get a number of different perks by linking their two accounts. Since its inception, Twitch Prime has offered a selection of freebies each month, from ad-free viewing and free Twitch channel subscriptions to in-game bonuses and even free games. Twitch is about to expand its free game offerings significantly with a new program it calls Free Games with Prime.
Twitch has announced the worldwide launch of its Rooms feature on mobile and soon for the web. The feature was first introduced back at TwitchCon in 2017, where the company explained that Rooms is an always-on chat space for channels. The custom space is available on the channel page, Twitch explains, and it'll be launching on desktop soon.
The video streaming market has become a dog eat dog world, where rivals try to outdo each other with sometimes questionable tactics. Giant YouTube has recently come under fire, yet again, and some of its competitors seem to be circling around it like vultures around a carcass. That might be the feeling that some will get with Twitch.tv’s pair of announcements that are a not so subtle challenge to YouTube, conveniently timed while the latter’s too busy putting out fires.
Earlier today, Awesome Games Done Quick 2018 kicked off, continuing an annual tradition that first started way back in 2010. The marathon will last all week long, raising money for charity the entire time. While those who are already fans of speedrunning likely know what AGDQ is, those who are unfamiliar can consider this a primer on the event, which has skyrocketed in popularity over the past couple of years.
Google may have dealt Amazon a big blow when it yanked YouTube from under the Echo Show’s feet but gamers don’t need to be too concerned. Amazon, after all, still owns the granddaddy of game and live streaming, Twitch.tv. Taking advantage of that inter-company relationship, Twitch has just announced new Alexa skills that would deliver an almost perfect hands-free game streaming experience. Well, almost. While it naturally works with any Alexa-enabled device, you’ll probably want to have an Echo Show anyway.
Mega Man has been with us longer than many gamers might realize. The Blue Bomber debuted in his first video game - the very first Mega Man for the NES - on December 17, 1987. That means Capcom's most-loved character is turning 30 years old this month, and to celebrate, the company is planning a special livestream that will look back at Mega Man's long history.
More than a year ago, Amazon Game Studios announced three new games notable for their extra level of Twitch integration. One of these games, Breakaway, was clearly the furthest along in development at the time of that announcement, and it was clear that Amazon was gunning for an eSports presence with it. Now that may not be happening, as reports are claiming that Breakaway has been put on an indefinite hiatus.
YouTube is continuing its quest to pull streamers away from Twitch today, rolling out an expansion to its sponsorship program. Up until now, YouTube sponsorships had been available to a select number of users in a limited beta, but beginning today, they'll be available to a lot more content creators who run gaming channels.
Those of you who are familiar with speedrunning probably already know that Games Done Quick hosts two marathons each year to raise money for charity. Those marathons are announced months in advance and are able to attract tens of thousands of viewers, but in times of disaster, Games Done Quick has been known to spring into action in an attempt to raise money quickly. We're seeing that happen this week, as Games Done Quick has announced a new weekend marathon in which speedrunners from around the world will raise money for Hurricane Harvey relief.