The Biggest Announcements From TwitchCon’s Keynote

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TwitchCon has officially kicked off in San Francisco this week, and as you can tell from our live streaming at the event, there’s a lot going on.

However, the show got its start with a special keynote, with director of programming Marcus “djWHEAT” Graham providing some great stats about the channel, such as how many Kappa images are used in chat sessions (roughly 665 a minute) and $15 million being raised for charity by streamers within the last year.

Then CEO/founder Emmett Shear took the stage to reveal several new announcements revolving around the streaming channel, one of which could easily make it compete with YouTube when it comes to the upload front.

Video Uploads were easily the biggest announcement during the show, as broadcasters will be able to use a simple web interface to upload their videos without them going live first. This feature is set to arrive sometime in early 2016.

In addition, search will be enhanced, making it easier to find specific streamers and games, and an HTML5 video player will be introduced, for those who prefer that style of video player. Customizable thumbnails will be available as well, so that they can categorize certain videos for their viewers, instead of what broadcasted last like before. These will tie in with a 24/7 playlist, using a simple drop-and-drag interface. These are due in early 2016 as well.

A new piece of production software was also introduced, in the form of Gameshow, which supports cross-platform. This enables streamers to set up high-quality broadcasts, templates, dynamic editing and other features to make their online sessions work much better than ever before.

Finally, Twitch didn’t limit its announcements to just the mobile/desktop front. It also announced a new PlayStation app that is set to launch early next year, opening up a wide variety of features for owners of the PlayStation 4 and other Sony consoles. This includes better viewing of live gameplay sessions and much easier ability to broadcast certain titles.

There is some big news here, and we’ll see how effectively they unfold over the next few months.

In the meantime, if you want more TwitchCon action, be sure to watch the live stream here.

Wargaming & Harmonix Talk Streaming at TwitchCon

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TwitchCon may be a great place to learn more about live-streaming and network with broadcast stars, but it’s also an ideal place for games, as many companies, including Capcom and others, are showing off their latest forthcoming releases.

Among them is Wargaming, who just launched World of Warships to an awaiting public. Like its previous games (World of Tanks and World of Warplanes), it emphasizes on free-to-play multiplayer action, but does so more tactfully this time around.

Erik Whiteford, director of marketing for Wargaming, stopped by the [a]listdaily live stream to chat about the game for a little bit, and its importance when it came to the streaming community. He essentially explained that the game was a vital opportunity to engage with streamers and community alike, with Warships providing a glimpse of what kind of tactical action awaits them. (Fun is still an important factor as well, he explained.)

Creating a connection with both of these audiences is key to the success of games such as this, with Twitch becoming “more and more important” when it comes to what Wargaming wants to provide to gamers. Feedback from users actually makes a world of difference, he said and it helps improve the game over time, with changes made to it.

World of Warships is available to download now at the official site.

Meanwhile, Nick Chester, PR and communications lead for Harmonix, also stopped by the live stream to talk Rock Band 4, the popular music/rhythm series that will be making its return to retail next month.

Nick basically talked about the addictive nature of the game, and how people love playing along to songs with certain instruments, like a guitar and drums. In addition, the debut of freestyle guitar solos in Rock Band 4 adds the ability to improvise, so that players get more into particular songs, such as “Uptown Funk.” He also explained that those who purchased songs in previous Rock Band games would be able to use them in the new title, as they could be downloaded through the official Music Store at no extra charge.

Nick also said that community is important to a title such as this, and live streams of Rock Band games continue to be popular even though the last game in the series, Rock Band 3, was released several years prior. Twitch streaming will be heavily supported with 4, building on the core functionality of the game through influencers. And more content will be added from there, to keep people in the experience.

Rock Band 4 jams its way to retail on October 6th for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Be sure to check back for continued TwitchCon coverage on our live stream tomorrow!

Bandai Namco and Daybreak Games On The Power of Streaming

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As you can see from our previous coverage, TwitchCon got off to a big start this morning with the keynote, highlighted by founder/CEO Emmett Shear. A number of announcements were made, which senior vice president of marketing Matthew DiPietro recapped when he stopped by to talk with (a)list Daily during its live stream.

He talked about how the network showed its appreciation for video games in general, as well as its avid live streamers, and how the team has managed to take all that energy to channel it from the site into a “real place,” TwitchCon.

He also brought up the PlayStation Network application, which will make its debut in early 2016, with improved services to make it easier to stream from any given Sony console, including PlayStation TV. He also briefly discussed playlists, uploads, and the revamping of the search function, all of which should make Twitch a more optimal site to use when it comes to sharing content.

He explained that two million concurrent viewers watch various streams around Twitch, which easily ties in with the previously reported 100 million monthly viewers that the site gets.

Daniel Kayser, special host for [a]listdaily‘s live streaming, asked about what makes good content on Twitch, to which DiPietro broke down what broadcasters need to do into three basic categories: having an overwhelming and perceivable passion of what they’re doing (“You just can’t fake that.”), the desire to interact with viewers and chat, and, most importantly, consistency. Being there at specific times for viewers to check out helps build an audience, as it creates dependability between broadcaster and fans that can create a larger audience.

Daybreak Studios was up next, which has a big presence at TwitchCon this week. Digital marketing and brand strategist Taina Berardi talked about how the company was showcasing the popular H1Z1 in the Gaming Lab in the second floor, where the community has played a big part in it as well.

Berardi also discussed how strong Twitch support has become with its games, and how players could easily adapt to the service with titles like H1Z1 and others. It’s a vital part of the company’s development moving forward as well, so that players and viewers can be engaged.

As for what Daybreak is looking for from its games, Berardi stated that the company is looking for streamers to get involved with them, even those without a huge following. The Invitational taking place during TwitchCon will play a big part of that.

H1Z1 also resonates well with players, particularly the Battle Royale mode (which is a big part of the company’s presentation this weekend), said Berardi. Players can build up skills as they go along (they start in underwear), but through foraging and crafting, they can eventually build resources. It’s got comparisons to The Hunger Games, with a “last man standing” set-up.

The prize pool was actually built by fans, with a special crate featuring goodies that can be used. Streamers’ t-shirts could also be put into the game, according to Berardi. To date, it’s risen $170,000 in funds, with two top winners getting $20,000.

Even though no new announcements were made about the game at the event, there’s so much happening with H1Z1 for fans to stay engaged, said Berardi. Survival and Battle Royale players will be continuously supported.

Bandai Namco took the live streaming stage after, talking with Kayser about various projects. First up, in an earlier stream, Cory Maggard, quality assurance tester for the company, talked about the MOBA strategy game Supernova, which has been getting a great deal of attention on Twitch channels, and is slowly moving into its own level of success, thanks to avid fans. More details about that game can be found here, and interested fans can sign up for a beta, free of charge.

From there, Nick O’Leary and J. Kartje discussed Dark Souls III, which will make its debut on consoles and PC early next year. The team is heavily talking to streamers about what they want to get out of their game sessions with the heavy action title, which is highly anticipated with that specific community (Previous Souls games were top sellers for the company.)

O’Leary explained that the games have found a “second life” on Twitch and YouTube, and more work is being put into the latest chapter so that players can experiment more with it, although the solo experience is still intact.

When it comes to what people enjoy the most about Dark Souls streams, Kartje explained it’s about the experience, and how people can overcome certain challenges in the game in which there are many with larger bosses and enemies.

The duo then talked about features in Dark Souls III, including a new magic bar that can help keep a player alive against tougher foes. Armor and healing also plays a big part in the game since you need everything you can get to stay alive.

Twitch also plays a big part with other Bandai Namco titles, not just Dark Souls, according to the pair. Some can even play a part in sales, according to O’Leary, and that’s prompting the company to reach out more to streamers, complete with supplying games and other materials.

Be sure to follow our continuing coverage of TwitchCon on the [a]listdaily Twitch channel here!

Twitch Engagement Is Huge News To Marketers

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It’s pretty much a given that Twitch.tv has become a huge success story in the world of game streaming, having acquired more than 100 million viewers a month and working with partners like Old Spice and others. And, of course, it’s headed into its first big TwitchCon event this weekend, with various panels, events and competitions lined up for the thousands of attendees.

What some may not realize, however, is the marketing potential that lies within Twitch.tv’s live viewer engagement. AdWeek recently posted an article breaking down the channel’s more recent numbers, with 60 to 70 percent of overall visitors consisting of men between the ages of 18-34. In addition, half of these viewers are based within the United States, according to numbers provided by Quantcast.

The numbers add up with viewing minutes as well, as the hardcore community of Twitch fans spend, collectively, more than 16 billion minutes a month watching people play games.

With the right approach to marketing, companies can reach out to this community with ease, whether it’s through mid-roll ads or using interactivity on a certain level, like Old Spice did with its “Nature Adventure” promotion earlier this year. In addition, it’s not just for console and PC play either, as a third or more of Twitch users manage their game streams via smartphones and tablets.

eSports is also playing a big part in the marketing game, as Red Bull uses its own devoted Twitch channel for competitive video gaming events. This ties in with the company’s push on the video game front, as it recently teamed with Activision to feature Destiny on its cans, unlocking new attributes that players can use within the game. It also worked with the company on a special live-stream from the game, highlighting content from the new add-on The Taken King before its release mid-month.

Adobe Digital Index had its own stats to add when it came to the marketing muscle of Twitch, indicating that watching videos via smartphone jumped 22 percent since the first portion of last year. Tablets are also being used quite often, almost on the same level as desktop users, indicating that the mobile reach for Twitch is continuing to climb.

“If more than half of Twitch users watch 20 or more hours a week of streaming video content on the platform 43 percent of whom might be live streaming games or other events from their phones it’s an indication of the immediate demand for marketers to have content that is in tune with what and where their audience is watching,” the article reads.

Twitch has also reached outside the gaming realm, launching a “Twitch Specials” category that focuses on concerts and other live events, as well as its recent partnership with music producer Boiler Room.

Indeed, Twitch looks almost unstoppable at this point, even with mounting competition from YouTube’s gaming division. We’ll see what surprises the company has in store when TwitchCon kicks off tomorrow.

Activision Ups The Ante With ‘Call of Duty’ World League

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Activision is no stranger to eSports, as it’s been hosting a number of Call of Duty competitions over the past few years. This time around, however, it’s definitely getting more serious.

With Call of Duty: Black Ops III just under a couple of months from release, the publisher announced today the debut of the Call of Duty World League, an eSports-based league that will support the popular first-person shooting franchise. With it, it shows a higher devotion to competitive play, including an all-new Call of Duty Championship, which will offer a prize pool of over $3 million.

“Call of Duty has always been about community, camaraderie and competition, which drives incredible engagement with the game all year long.  eSports allows us to deliver these moments to our fans whether they are playing the game themselves or cheering on those who are,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, Inc.  “Three years ago, we held the first Call of Duty Championship to showcase the dedication and skill of Call of Duty players around the world. Since then, eSports has become a global phenomenon with more than 120 million people watching online competitive gaming each year and Call of Duty continues to lead as the top console eSports franchise in the world.”

The competition won’t just be for the pros either, as the League will be divided into two types of players The Pro Division and the Channel Division. Both will tie in to the Call of Duty Championship in fall 2016, with players from around the world, professional and amateur alike, competing for a chance at eSports glory.

“Treyarch’s passion for competitive gaming precedes Call of Duty: Black Ops II, a heritage that inspired us to introduce dedicated eSports features into the franchise and one that compelled us to push the boundaries of Call of Duty: Black Ops III‘s offerings beyond anything we’ve delivered before,” said Mark Lamia, Treyarch studio head. “While our global fan base of players range from casual to professional, they all share a desire to compete – some at the highest levels. With Call of Duty: Black Ops III, we are introducing a series of new features, like Arena mode that not only accommodate that diversity of play styles, but also let players see how they stack up against one another. Treyarch is giving the community of Call of Duty players new ways to compete and enjoy the thrill of competition.”

This marks a big shift for the event, which usually takes place in the spring, but Activision hopes it will give players the extra time needed to deliver their all, creating a rousing conclusion to its eSports competition which, again, will offer a whopping $3 million in series payouts and LAN events. (That’s bigger than previous Call of Duty events.)

More information on the World League can be found here. Meanwhile, aspiring players and pros alike can get their hands on Black Ops III when it releases on November 6th.

TBS Takes eSports Primetime With ‘Counter-Strike’

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Everyone wants a piece of the eSports game these days even ESPN, a stagnant holdout for the longest time, aired an event earlier this year, Heroes of the Dorm. Now, Turner Broadcasting is getting in on the action.

Per a report from Variety, TBS will soon become the home for Counter-Strike eSports match-ups, as the Ted Turner-owned station has teamed up with talent agency WME/IMG to build a new eSports league. With that, TBS will soon have weekly tournaments devoted to the popular Valve-produced shooter for all to see.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the company’s latest build on the series, will be the featured title for the league, and TBS already plans to show 20 events that will be shot in front of a live audience. The first event is set to broadcast sometime next year, with continued competitive tournaments over the next ten weeks. Extra matches will also air during each tournament week, along with profiles on the individual players, according to the deal.

“This is a way to bring eSports to light and the 90 million homes TBS is in,” said Turner Sports president Lenny Daniels, speaking with Variety.

Tobias Sherman, the head of eSports division for WME/IMG, shared Daniels’ enthusiasm. “It’s my firm belief that there are many eSports fans who don’t know they’re eSports fans yet. Hell, I was one,” he explained

This is the latest move by WME/IMG to move into the eSports game, as it previously acquired a number of pro gamers from Global eSports Management. There’s no word yet if these specific players will be involved with the tournament, but Sherman assured that various competitors would be picked, whether they’re part of that team or not.

More details on the deal are expected to be announced sometime later this year. For now, this is big news on the eSports front and who knows, it could lead to additional broadcasts of tournaments, maybe even on a weekly basis. Imagine a League of Legends weekly series. That would probably get a ton of attention with the right source.

Minecraft Set To Creep Up On Virtual Reality

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It seems that no matter what platform it’s released on, Minecraft performs record numbers. Minecraft: Pocket Edition has easily pushed its way into the top ten for both Android and iOS devices alike; Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition continues to be a best-seller on that platform; and the game has been well-received on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 as well.

Now, it could shake up the virtual front as we know it. At yesterday’s Oculus Connect event, founder and CEO Palmer Luckey announced that Microsoft’s hit game would be making its way to the Oculus Rift sometime early next year. Although a specific release date and price point weren’t given, more news is expected on this port very soon.

This is huge news for virtual reality, as it gives players the chance to play one of their all-time favorite games in an all-new format, using immersive 3D to build objects within Minecraft’s blocky world, while occasionally fighting off creepers and teaming up with friends.

Furthermore, it will be the Windows 10 edition of Minecraft, according to Luckey, which could open the door to more potential partnerships with console game makers. Oculus announced previously in the year that it would make Xbox One games compatible with its Rift device, {link no longer active} through the presentation of a virtual game room. This could be just the beginning for Oculus and Microsoft’s team-up. (Imagine a Halo game that utilizes the headset.)

Even though the virtual reality market hasn’t fully launched just yet the Rift, along with the HTC Vive and Sony’s recently renamed PlayStation VR (which could also see a port down the line, considering the company’s previous efforts with Mojang), are set to launch next year this could bring big news for it, as Minecraft has been nothing short of a best-seller on other platforms, mainly due to the creativity it provides to its players.

We’ll see where Minecraft virtually takes us in just a few months’ time. Mind the Creepers.

What To Expect From Gaming Insiders Summit

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The Gaming Insiders Summit for 2015 is taking place in San Francisco on September 24 and 25 at the Intercontinental Hotel. The event is packed with sessions for everyone interested in the game industry, and we’ve highlighted some of the sessions of particular interest to game marketers.

Making Google Play the Home for Games (at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday) brings Jamil Moledina, Google’s Strategic Games Lead, to talk about how Google Play is becoming the world’s digital marketplace for games and apps. He’ll share success stories from major, PC, and console-based partners, and indies on Google Play. This is going to be excellent information for any marketer hoping to have products do well in the Google Play store.

Peter Levin, head of Lionsgate Interactive Ventures and Games, discusses State of Affairs: Hollywood & Gaming, where he will talk about the increasing overlap and cooperation between games and film or television projects. He’ll talk about the studio’s cooperation with publishers, turning games into feature films, and investing in game development. If you’re interested in any of the intersection between these entertainment media, this is a session you have to attend.

In a related vein, Scopely CEO Walter Driver will discuss Is it possible to create authentic games for entertainment brands , in a fireside chat with yours truly. We’ll go into detail on how Scopely addressed the challenge of turning The Walking Dead into a best-selling mobile game, and what strategies companies can use to capture the essence of an entertainment brand in a mobile game. It’s a game design challenge and a marketing challenge, and Scopely has shown it can handle both aspects exceptionally well. Marketers should get a lot of valuable information from this session.

If you are interested at all in mobile advertising (and who isn’t, these days ), the panel discussion on Monetization RTS FTW!: How not to hack and slash your way through the mobile ads ecosystem will give you the best strategies from execs at Electronic Arts, Zynga, and Facebook on what they’ve learned about mobile ads. The depth of expertise in this panel is immense, so it’s a great opportunity to learn from people who are living this issue every day.

Rounding out the day is a look at App Distribution a Year From Now, with a panel of experts from Scopely, ironsource, and TUNE to talk about the big changes ahead for how apps are going to be found and installed. Changes have been announced that will affect developers, tracking companies, and ad networks, and marketers need to be ready.

The second day of Gaming Insiders Summit also offers a great deal of insights for marketers, kicking off with Alternative growth strategies for mobile games. The panel includes execs from Storm8, Rovio, Seriously, and Space Ape Games, exploring the different avenues outside of performance marketing that leading game developers are using to drive installs. The panel will explore the use of television advertising for mobile games, influencers, and more.

If you’re looking for insights on VR, there are several sessions for you. The Business and Monetization of Virtual Reality, by the co-founder of Otherworld Interactive, will talk numbers: the size of the market, adoption rates, and revenue potential. In particular, where is the money coming from right now to build VR content If you have VR in your future, this is the kind of information you need to have.

Several of the afternoon sessions are important ones for marketers, from ASO Best Practices (dealing with App Store Optimization) to Behavior-based Cohorting (how to find your most engaged users) to The Future of Mobile Attribution (how to understand the value of a mobile game marketing channel).

The Gaming Insiders Summit will have immense value inside the sessions, and of course the networking opportunities may be even more important. Marketers should come away from this conference armed with new insights, new data, and new connections for improving business.

Tubular Ranks Most Watched Facebook Creators

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With Facebook’s video division continuing to make a big impact on the social scene — and knocking on the door of YouTube’s popularity — Tubular Labs recently released a report of the top ten most watched Facebook compilation creators for the month of August. And it’s safe to say that these creators have managed to amass a huge audience on the site.

The full list of 25 can be found here, but here’s a quick recap of the top ten creators…

First up is Funniest and Craziest Videos. These videos have pleased audiences of all types with their “crazy, funny and amazing videos for everyone,” with a total of 1.1 billion views for the month of August, and 1.3 million followers overall.

Coming up in second is the prank-based comedy channel SoFlo Comedy, which is very popular in its own right with one billion views, as well as over 450,000 new followers. It rose two places from its number four position during July 2015.

Unilad TV may have dropped in the rankings (it was number two last month), but it continues to impress with over a billion views for the month and over 554,000 new followers. Considering it specializes in trending videos, this shouldn’t be a surprise.

In fourth place is StreetFX, a site devoted to Australia’s largest motorsport graphics supplier. With its car-related videos, it’s managed to gain 349,000 new followers and 593 million views for the month.

In fifth, French site Codes de Meufs made an impressive debut on the list, with 546 million views and 369,000 new followers for the month.

Screen Shot 2015 09 23 at 4.06.58 PM

The remaining top ten are below…

6. Young Paperboyz, 505 million views, 346,000 new followers

7. 2! Idol, 416 million views, 825,000 new followers

8. DJ Zant, 412 million views, 478,000 new followers

9. Viechten Met Daan, 408 million views, 927,000 new followers (the best for the month)

10. Top Vines, 398 million views, but actually lost 6,000 followers (the main negative on the list)

As you can see, Facebook’s business is booming within the top 25, and it’s likely to continue in the months ahead as the site invests in new innovations and opportunities for programmers to take advantage of.