YouTube Gaming App Shuts Down This Week

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: YouTube Gaming is more or less shutting down this week. Google launched the standalone YouTube gaming vertical almost four years ago as a response to Amazon's purchase of Twitch, and on May 30, Google will shut down the standalone YouTube Gaming app and the standalone gaming.youtube.com website. The plan to shut down the gaming portal was announced in September, with a report from The Verge saying the site was dying because it simply wasn't popular. YouTube serves more than 50 billion hours of gaming content a year, but people just aren't viewing those hours through the gaming-specific site and apps. "A support page does detail some of the changes users will have to deal with, like the merging of YouTube Gaming and normal YouTube subscriptions," the report adds. "Users will also lose their list of followed games, which isn't supported on YouTube."

"Google is directing former YouTube Gaming users to a gaming sub-page on YouTube.com, which has some of the YouTube Gaming features intact, like the top live games list. On the Web, the gaming section is at YouTube.com/gaming, and you can find it in the regular YouTube app by tapping on 'trending' and then 'gaming.' Just like the standalone site, though, a normal person would be hard-pressed to discover these special interfaces."

How does Twitch maintain dominance here?

[SuperKendall]

I'm not that much in to game streaming myself though I sometimes watch streamed games...

A question I have for anyone who is more into it, how has Twitch managed to keep YouTube from taking over this space? Is it better integration with gaming companies (like Sony or MS)? Is it simply a better experience in terms of chat or viewing the game stream?

Re:

[lgw]

Twitch has better features for interacting with viewers of the stream, more than just one person presenting and others watching, with chat on the side. Twitch "extensions" allowed a lot to be automated, but I think there was an ecosystem to do a lot before that (e.g., a panel on the stream that recognizes when someone subscribes or donates with a little video clip created by the streamer). I'm not sure how big the gap is now, but YouTube was slow to play catch-up.

Re:

[LarryRiedel]

YouTube could easily have implemented all the features of Twitch, like IRCv3 chat support and a home page for each channel, but it seems they thought they could just put the word Gaming, with an ugly interface with no discoverability, and be successful because they're Google, and their way is better by definition.

Re:How does Twitch maintain dominance here?

[UnknownSoldier]

> how has Twitch managed to keep YouTube from taking over this space?

It hasn't -- BUT that depends on the games and streamers. Many streamers use BOTH.

Many twitch streamers use twitch for "live" streams and then post a high quality upload on YouTube a few days later because they realize the market is fragmented.

Examples:

T90 does this for Age of Empires 2 matches.

For Minecraft streamer Mumbo Jumbo doesn't use Twitch at all where Xisumvoid has a 2nd YouTube channel and streams to Twitch.

For WoW streaming Asmongold uses Twitch for lives streams and uploads clips to YouTube.

For sim racing Super GT, Jimmy Broadbent, EERIEISSS, etc. don't use twitch IIRC.

If you are talking about the latest fad games like Fortnite and PUBG then Twitch is THE place to watch.

Maybe it is just random / coincidence but it seems to me that the older streamers use YouTube and the younger streamers use Twitch??

However YouTube and Twitch are going full retard though with automatic copyright strikes so I think it's up in the air at this point to say which one will come out on top in the long run.

Re:

[UnknownSoldier]

Yeah it's pretty bad when you can demonetized / banned for showing the OK hand gesture or a picture of a fucking frog -- all because a bunch of SJWs got their panties in a knot over a FEW people that hijacked the symbol so now NO ONE can use it. To Godwin this thread: Exactly like the Nazis hijacking the India (Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism) and Indian (Navajo) swastika, reversing it, and turning it into the modern corrupt version so now it creates confusion because people are too lazy and butt hurt to no

Re:

[Junkrat_79]

Your right about marketing, for example when Apex legends came out you got free stuff for making a Twith account (A lot of stuff!) Also the one button "Stream to Twitch" option built into stuff like AMD drivers really helps. (That got me to try streaming on Twicth after I bought a RX-580 this year) Also the youtube 'gaming' app that's getting shutdown was odd becasue you could use reg youtube too, yeah I suppose twitch is just more specialized twords gamers

Re:

[sirpwn4g3]

I think it's just a matter of legacy. Other streaming platforms have been superior to Twitch(Mixer and Youtube come to mind) but could not garner the viewers that Twitch has already established. It's common with these things, the first to market wins.

Take your pick...

[darkain]

https://killedbygoogle.com/ [killedbygoogle.com]
https://gcemetery.co/ [gcemetery.co]

Tower of Blahbel

[SuperKendall]

Huh? What is a "vertical"?

Apparently something much more easy to topple than a horizontal.

Vertical market defined

[tepples]

Wiktionary defines a "vertical market" [wiktionary.org] (or "vertical" for short) as "A market made up of similar businesses and customers with particular specialized needs", giving an example of the market for point-of-sale terminals. See also "Vertical market" on Wikipedia [wikipedia.org].

Re: What even is a "vertical"?

[Nidi62]

It only lets people stream video captured on cell phone in portrait mode

Don't worry, it's safe!

[Daetrin]

Google may be shutting down their game video streaming service, but please remember that "Stadia" their cloud video game streaming service is still available! Google is serious about this one and they _promise_ that they won't just yank the rug out from under you if you invest in it now!

Re:

[ilsaloving]

But did they pinky swear?

Re:

[Dunbal]

please remember that "Stadia" their cloud video game streaming service is still available!

For now...

Ego

[burningcpu]

I know we've talked the reasons and outcomes to death on this site, but man! The hubris of Google is amazing.

Re:

[PingSpike]

Make sure you guys buy lots of games and DLC on our cloud gaming services before we shut it down and it vanishes like a cloud on the wind, along with your money!

Re:

[CastrTroy]

People question why I don't get a Nest, or a Ring doorbell and this is exactly why. Nevermind that spending hundreds of dollars on a thermostat or a doorbell with a build in camera is just a little excessive, but there's also no guarantee that the devices will continue to work in 5 years.

Who uses google?

[ilsaloving]

Who actually uses anything made by google apart from their core services like search, maps, and youtube? Google now has a very strong track record of poor product longevity,so I'd be amazed that anyone uses *anything* made by Google besides the major services.

Re:

[phantomfive]

Angular is getting more and more popular. I don't recommend it but no one listens to me.

Re:

[110010001000]

I listen to you.