SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Twitch, the world’s leading social video platform and community for gamers, kicked off TwitchCon 2015 with a keynote from CEO/Founder Emmett Shear, along with Twitch’s Director of Programming, Marcus “djWHEAT” Graham. The two painted a detailed picture of the live broadcasting platform’s history to its ongoing evolution. Upcoming features include video uploads, an HTML5 video player and new ways to chat. Also included were announcements related to industry partners, like PlayStation’s dedicated Twitch viewing app for all its platforms, Gameshow’s cutting edge broadcasting software, and a reveal of new content for StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void.
“The Twitch community shapes everything we do through the creative new ways they use our platform, through their feedback, and through the great videos and hilarious chat messages we see every day,” said Emmett Shear, CEO/Founder, Twitch. “All of the features we announced today, from our HTML5 plans to our video upload system, are inspired by our awesome community of broadcasters, viewers, and chatters. We want them to know we’re always listening, and we can’t wait to meet them in person at TwitchCon.”
Twitch announced the following improvements to its social video platform:
- Video Uploads: For the first time, broadcasters will be able to use a simple web interface to upload their videos to Twitch without having to stream them live first. Coming in early 2016.
- HTML5 Video Player: While some broadcasters currently have access to the new player with HTML controls, Twitch will be rolling out a full HTML5 player. Coming in early 2016.
- Customizable Thumbnails: Twitch is enabling customizable thumbnails for broadcasters to use with past broadcasts and highlights. This will ensure broadcasters have full control over how they present their content.
- Whispers Update: Twitch’s real-time messaging functionality is being separated from the main flow of chat to make whisper messages easier to follow and respond to. Whispers’ history is also persistent so users can return to their whispers conversation any time—even as they move from one channel to another. Whispers will also be available on mobile, so messages started on the web can continue when users are on the go. Coming in October.
- 24/7 Playlists: Broadcasters will be able to create a playlist of their best pre-recorded content with a simple drag-and-drop interface. They can use archived live broadcasts or highlights, and easily reorder and remove videos as well. Upon activation, the video will start streaming it to the broadcaster’s channel. Coming in Fall 2015.
The keynote presentation also featured several announcements related to its industry partners.
- PlayStation App: When PlayStation®4 (PS4™) launched in 2013, it offered the ability to easily live broadcast PS4 gameplay sessions using the SHARE button on the DualShock®4 wireless controller and view live PS4 gameplay sessions via Live from PlayStation®. Today it was announced that a dedicated Twitch app will be available on multiple PlayStation platforms in the Americas, starting with PS4 next month and followed by PlayStation®3, PlayStation®Vita and PlayStation®TV. The app will make it even easier to watch game streams and to follow favorite broadcasters on PS4.
- Gameshow: Gameshow is cross-platform, livestreaming production software that lets broadcasters easily set up and produce the highest quality streams, with beautiful graphic templates designed for specific games, unlimited shots, dynamic editing, live switching, green screen technology, and built-in interactive widgets. With Gameshow, broadcasters can simplify the process of creating a consistent, branded game stream, which helps them build their community, build their brand and make their streams worth watching.
TwitchCon 2015 is taking place September 25th-26th at the Moscone West convention center in San Francisco and is the first ever convention dedicated to Twitch’s community of partners, broadcasters, and viewers. To be kept in the loop with all TwitchCon news, follow the TwitchCon Twitter feed or tune into live TwitchCon content via the TwitchCon Event Page. For general Twitch news, visit the Twitch blog, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages.
About Twitch
Twitch is the world’s leading social video platform and community for gamers. Each month, more than 100 million community members gather to watch and talk about video games with more than 1.7 million broadcasters. Twitch’s video platform is the backbone of both live and on-demand distribution for the entire video game ecosystem. This includes game developers, publishers, media outlets, events, user generated content, and the entire esports scene. For more information visit the Twitch website and blog.
