It was already known that the popular game streaming platform Twitch would start selling PC games and other in-game content soon on its site. Now starting Tuesday, the Amazon-owned game streaming platform allowed users to buy several different titles from it while watching related streams.
Small but perfect catalog for gamers
Twitch is now officially a digital game distributor or games retailer. The game streaming service will now not only broadcast various games but also allow its users to buy games directly via the Twitch desktop app or through their web browser. Over 50 titles and many add-ons will be available to users to buy mid-stream over the next week.
“We’re starting with about 50 titles, and we’ll keep on adding new games. You can buy either the full game or in-game content directly through Twitch,” the company said in a blog post.
The titles include: Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands (released only recently) and For Honor, many Telltale episodic series, The Walking Dead and Minecraft: Story Mode, Digital Extremes’ Warframe, Jackbox Games’ Jackbox Party Pack 3, Paradox Interactive’s Tyranny, Trion Worlds’ Atlas Reactor, Hi-Rez Studios’ SMITE and Paladins, Double Fine Productions’ Broken Age and Psychonauts, and Campo Santo’s Firewatch.
It cannot be denied that with only 50 games, the catalog is quite small in comparison to other gaming e-shops like GOG, Humble or Steam. However, the games selected by the service are ideal for it, notes Techradar.
Twitch taking care of gamers, developers and partners
Along with selling their games at full price, developers can also use the service to award users great offers for watching game streams at certain times. If you think only developers will benefit from selling games, you are wrong. The partnered Twitch streamers will earn about 5% of sales generated through their channels as well, notes Engadget.
Twitch is allowing users to download and play the games bought on the Twitch Desktop App, a move to outperform Steam. Users can also choose to load games on existing publisher specific game launchers such as Uplay.
In addition, the game streaming platform is providing other incentives to players who choose to flock to Twitch. The gaming site is offering Twitch Crate to users who make a purchase of $4.49 or more. Twitch Crates are random loot boxes that award recipients with a randomized drop of items like chat badges, customizable emotes, Bits for Cheering and other goodies.
Buyers who make purchases in April will be eligible for a lottery in which they get a chance to win $500 worth of pro streaming gear and a selection of gifts like a mouse, a headset, a keyboard or a top-shelf kit filled with everything that one would need to broadcast games. The given offer is to entice users to make more and more purchases this month.
As of now, the streaming platform is only accepting U.S. currency for the games sold through its service, but according to The Verge, it will add more payment options in the future.
