Twitch launches its own game store to take on Steam

[Jos]

Twitch, the popular live streaming platform owned by Amazon is taking a page from its parent company by launching its own game store. The service now allows users to purchase a variety of different titles while watching related streams on its website or the newly launched desktop app. There are around 50 titles available at launch including Firewatch, Broken Age, For Honor, and Ghost Recon: Wildlands.

Interestingly, Twitch’s commission structure brings partnered streamers into the mix, giving them 5% of sales originating through their channels while the game’s creators get 70%. This adds a new revenue opportunity for streamers also get ad and subscription revenue and can get tips from fans.

Developers can also use the service to award fans with special offers for watching streams at certain times, and for every purchase over $4.99, users will receive a virtual Twitch Crate filled with Twitch tools — like emotes, chat badges and Bits for Cheering.

Games bought through Twitch can be downloaded and played through the Twitch desktop app, bypassing Valve’s market leading Steam platform. Alternatively users can load games through existing publisher specific game launchers like Ubisoft’s Uplay.

Currently the Twitch store only offers English language versions of games, in US dollars, but the company says it will offer localized options in the near future.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/68802-twitch-game-store-now-open-business.html

 

[wastedkill]

Great just what I wanted, More bloatware. Bring on the next 500 stores to buy from.

 

[davislane1]

Twitch gives customers more options and enables users to make money from the sales, nobody actually has to use the Twitch store, and all of that =

Great just what I wanted, More bloatware. Bring on the next 500 stores to buy from.

We've come full circle, folks. Back in the day, monopolies were seen as being so bad we needed anti-monopoly laws. Now? More competition is the last thing we need.

 

[trgz]

Bit late for an April Fools, eh?

 

[Evernessince]

So is this store actually taking on Steam or is their client just going to load the steam client?

I can understand if this was a value added service but yeah, it just appears to want to capture every penny that floats in their ecosystem. People watch videos on twitch and can now buy videos on twitch.

Twitch gives customers more options and enables users to make money from the sales, nobody actually has to use the Twitch store, and all of that =

Great just what I wanted, More bloatware. Bring on the next 500 stores to buy from.

We've come full circle, folks. Back in the day, monopolies were seen as being so bad we needed anti-monopoly laws. Now? More competition is the last thing we need.

Monopolies have never been seen as good and in a capitalist economy there is no such thing as too much competition. Competition is required for the economy to function properly and more of it always benefits the customer.

 

[Puiu]

Twitch gives customers more options and enables users to make money from the sales, nobody actually has to use the Twitch store, and all of that =

Great just what I wanted, More bloatware. Bring on the next 500 stores to buy from.

We've come full circle, folks. Back in the day, monopolies were seen as being so bad we needed anti-monopoly laws. Now? More competition is the last thing we need.

there is no such thing as too much competition.

 

[frostyshield]

there is no such thing as too much competition.

When you need to install 7 applications from 7 different "stores" because they paid to host x game exclusively thats my problem. I dont mind price competition just dont want lots of bloatware

 

[Puiu]

When you need to install 7 applications from 7 different "stores" because they paid to host x game exclusively thats my problem. I dont mind price competition just dont want lots of bloatware

False, you don't "need" to do it, you have the "option" to do it.
And think of this as Amazon selling you games through another website where 5% automatically goes to the streamer (no more referral link BS). They just made it possible to link your Amazon account to Twitch and download the games from the desktop app they just released a short while ago (at least the ~50 they have available now) or another service like UPlay from Ubisoft.

 

[ArdvarkMaster]

I can understand if this was a value added service

Not to shill for Amazon, but if you are an Amazon Prime customer you do get free games, game loot monthly. And while you do have to have the Twitch Launcher installed, the games will load from a desktop shortcut.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

More competition is the last thing we need.

Please tell me you mistyped that and that it was just an honest mistake.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

there is no such thing as too much competition.

When you need to install 7 applications from 7 different "stores" because they paid to host x game exclusively thats my problem. I dont mind price competition just dont want lots of bloatware

there is no such thing as too much competition.

When you need to install 7 applications from 7 different "stores" because they paid to host x game exclusively thats my problem. I dont mind price competition just dont want lots of bloatware

Bloatware, spyware, junkware, nagware... It's a part of everyone's everyday life now and don't fool yourself into thinking it's gonna go away anytime soon, in fact it's only going to get worse and even more invasive. With numbnuts embracing parasitical rubbish like voice assisted personal assistants actually thinking it's making their lives easier, nothing could be further from the truth. The Gestapo is dead, long live the Gestapo.

 

[davislane1]

Please tell me you mistyped that and that it was just an honest mistake.

You misread the post. Hint: I rarely use /s tags.

 

[EndlessWaves]

Great just what I wanted, More bloatware. Bring on the next 500 stores to buy from.

Unfortunately with steam being so popular it's not surprising that everyone else is producing similar.

When the top selling store has a 30% market share instead of 90% we might see some diversity and options that focus on the game itself, not achievements, trading cards, videos and other associated kibble.

Until then, expect feature-rich clients to be the norm.

there is no such thing as too much competition.

When you need to install 7 applications from 7 different "stores" because they paid to host x game exclusively thats my problem. I dont mind price competition just dont want lots of bloatware

The only way you're going to stop that is to not buy the games that are exclusives. Developers will soon stop offering exclusives if they see their profits nosedive. It's not as if there's any shortage of games out there.

 

[trgz]

Please tell me you mistyped that and that it was just an honest mistake.

Er, having seen what competition has done for the UK then maybe you're the one mistyping?

 

[frostyshield]

When you have 30 applications to open for 30 games it kinda eats at your bandwidth, hard drive space, overall clutter. I cant wait when amazon, G2A, Kinguin, Wallmart, microtrend all have apps like steam and have "exclusive" games they paid to host.

Lets see how happy you all are when you have multiple clients like steam then ubisoft xD

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Er, having seen what competition has done for the UK then maybe you're the one mistyping?

UK? Never heard of it.

 

[trgz]

UK? Never heard of it.

lol

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

lol

Honestly speaking, competition is a very good thing. Monopolism is the last thing anybody needs.

 

[trgz]

Honestly speaking, competition is a very good thing. Monopolism is the last thing anybody needs.

In theory it seems like a sound concept, however in practice the demonoplization of several services in the UK has given rise to many companies all going after the most profitable elements to the detriment of the overall original service and with profits being passed on to shareholders and not re-invested or passed back into the economy (though that's another issue). Also the driving down of cost, whilst a fine cause in principle, has led to a distinct degradation of customer service though I will admit that there are several smaller suppliers who have managed to maintain a decent service/cost ratio.
Bottom line is that if we had the benefit of hindsight I beleive that the model that we have had applied to us in the UK has probably dealt benefits to investors and not to consumers.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

In theory it seems like a sound concept, however in practice the demonoplization of several services in the UK has given rise to many companies all going after the most profitable elements to the detriment of the overall original service and with profits being passed on to shareholders and not re-invested or passed back into the economy (though that's another issue). Also the driving down of cost, whilst a fine cause in principle, has led to a distinct degradation of customer service though I will admit that there are several smaller suppliers who have managed to maintain a decent service/cost ratio.
Bottom line is that if we had the benefit of hindsight I beleive that the model that we have had applied to us in the UK has probably dealt benefits to investors and not to consumers.

I'll have to check this out for myself. I plan to emigrate back to the UK (Southampton, the site of my birth) in the near future. I hope what you're telling me here isn't as bleak as it sounds.

 

[trgz]

I'll have to check this out for myself. I plan to emigrate back to the UK (Southampton, the site of my birth) in the near future. I hope what you're telling me here isn't as bleak as it sounds.

Maybe I've over-egged it a little (as one does when trying to get a point made ;-)). Southampton - nice and close to the New Forest

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Maybe I've over-egged it a little (as one does when trying to get a point made ;-)). Southampton - nice and close to the New Forest

Nothing like a little bit of over exaggeration to get one's attention. I'm a subscriber to that ploy once in a while myself. (y)

 

[SternLX]

Meh, I'll just stick with Steam. Unlike Amazon linked accounts(that's the real reseller here, not Twitch) I can use my PayPal Credit account for purchasing games. Amazon is anti-PayPal.