Gaming content has gained much popularity on YouTube, even though the platform wasn’t initially conceived for that theme. Millions of gamers watch others play, but what if the platform allows you to play directly from its app? YouTube was born in 2005 as a general video-sharing site where users could upload and view content of various kinds.
In the intervening years, video games have seen explosive growth in popularity and cultural influence. Gamers have become increasingly interested in watching other gamers play, learning tips and tricks, and staying updated on the latest news in the video game world. This growing demand has paved the way for a wide variety of gaming content to emerge on YouTube.
Thus was born the figure of the content creator specialized in video games, dissimilar in certain aspects from that of the videogame journalist. They started uploading gameplay videos, guides, reviews, previews, and more. These videos attract millions of viewers who are passionate about video games and who have found YouTube to be an accessible platform to share their experiences and interact with other enthusiasts.
Youtube And Twitch: Is Watching Others More Fun?
YouTube has also provided valuable tools for creators of gaming content. Monetization features like advertisements have earned creators money from their videos. This has encouraged many enthusiasts to devote themselves full-time to content creation, thus turning their hobby into a profession (if it suits them). Meanwhile, Twitch, launched in 2011, has focused on live broadcasting gaming content from the beginning.
The platform has been highly successful, attracting professional streamers, esports events, and a vast user base that is passionate about gaming. However, YouTube has gradually gained traction as a rival to Twitch. One of the main reasons for this success has been YouTube’s already existing large user base. Once a live broadcast on Twitch is over, many content creators upload the video, whole or cut, to YouTube to reach a wider audience. In addition, YouTube has also integrated the ability to stream.
YouTube’s ability to offer pre-recorded and live gaming content has made the platform more versatile than Twitch, which focuses primarily on streaming. In response to growing competition from YouTube, Twitch has been looking to expand beyond gaming content, introducing categories like “Just Chatting” and hosting events of various kinds. However, YouTube has managed to maintain its strong position in the gaming content sector. But is watching others play more fun than playing the game yourself? We don’t think so, and perhaps YouTube thinks so too, which would have decided to allow users to play directly from the app.
It Can Be Played On Youtube
Google is testing a new product allowing users to play games on YouTube. According to the newspaper, the new product will be called “Playables” and allow users to play games instantly through the YouTube application on mobile and desktop devices. Google recently invited employees to start testing the product; one of the currently playable games in the trial is Stack Bounce, an arcade game that looks similar to games like Brick Breaker Arcade on Android.
The recent news comes at an exciting time for Google if it intends to venture into the gaming sector again. Google’s previous attempt was its cloud gaming platform, Stadia, which launched in 2019, but whose service was shut down on January 18, 2023. Those who enjoy watching others play will continue to do so, but shortly. YouTube could offer this new option: to play directly from its platform. We are still determining what kind of video games will be available, whether ad hoc developed titles or old and new-gen third-party products.
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