The gaming industry has been growing for many years and live game streaming is positively booming. This week, Facebook launches a dedicated gaming app to take advantage of this boom. It will take on the likes of Amazon’s Twitch, Google’s Youtube and Microsoft’s Mixer.
Read: Google is working on a smart debit card
The app will be available across multiple platforms and be used to create and watch live gameplay. Facebook has been trying to crack the gaming market for some time, signing exclusivity deals with many streamers of varying popularity.
Mixer have invested a lot of money in signing some of the biggest streamers in the world, and Twitch is still well. YouTube Gaming has seen immense growth over recent months as it’s made it extremely simple for creators to stream live with that video that automatically uploading it to YouTube as a VOD as well.
Facebook has been offering a similar experience to their new dedicated gaming app from the website, but by separating the service from its main site will allow more focus for its developers while making it easier to understand for users.
Facebook Gaming will also feature a function called “Go Live,” which lets users livestream mobile games directly from their smartphone to Facebook. This precludes the need for dedicated third-party software and hardware which people usually require to stream to some other platforms.
The social media giant has said it won’t include any ads in the gaming app for the time being monetisation will be limited as it ramps up its platform and features. It will, however, let streamers earn money with so-called “stars” which let fans make one-time payments. More monetisation options will follow in due time.
The app will be available on Android at first, starting to roll out in certain areas the 20th of April, with iOS following soon.
According to Facebook, 700 million of its users interact with the gaming content on the main Facebook app or website as its stands. There is a clear audience and Facebook hopes the dedicated gaming app will drive those numbers further.
