YouTube channels ranging from Machinima's vast array of directors to our friends at the Yogscast have all demonstrated that live streaming and/or sharing gameplay videos is not only popular, but that it provides a form of entertainment that people can make a living from. More and more players are beginning to share videos with commentary via YouTube or live streaming through Twitch TV and we aren't just talking about eSports competitions. Anyone can do it, provided you have the right video capture software and video editing skills.
So when Battlefield 3 debuted, a game that sells itself on its groundbreaking Frostbite 2 powered visuals, we were baffled when EA and developer DICE hosted a video competition for players... when the game and the Origin service it runs on don't even support video capturing or sharing. That's about to change in a very big way, not just for Origin-powered games, but for this year's most anticipated title: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.
For Origin users who've opted in for beta updates, EA has just announced that Twitch cross-functionality will be coming in a few days for users worldwide. For users not in the beta program, it'll come shortly after that. With Origin, it's as simple as this:
We’re proud to announce that Origin is partnering with Twitch, and today we’re launching phase one of this integration. With a few clicks of your mouse, you can now broadcast your gaming session live, directly to your Twitch channel, for gamers around the world to view. With the combined power of Origin and Twitch, it’s never been easier to take your own gameplay online, in real-time.
To start broadcasting, just start playing a game, then bring up Origin In Game by hitting Shift+F1 (or whatever keystroke you’ve chosen for your Origin In Game Hotkey). You’ll notice a camera icon has been added to the bottom of this screen.
Players can then login with their Twitch account, pick their volume levels and resolution, and stream away. Origin will also be adding support for Non-Origin games where players can add other titles to their library and stream from them as well. This may be one of the smartest and strategic decisions EA has made with the Origin service and their competition against the well-established Steam service which does not support video recording or sharing in any form.
As for EA's competitor, Activision just announced today that Black Ops 2 - when it launches next week - will be the first game ever with built-in YouTube live streaming support. Players can share videos through the Call of Duty Elite service and their personal YouTube channels, and can include their webcam and audio commentary while playing.
Call of Duty Elite takes the live streaming experience even further, letting viewers on Elite see the player card of the user that is streaming. With just a couple clicks, viewers can dig deeper to see such information as class loadouts, recent match data, as well as career stats across supported Call of Duty® games on Elite.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II player live streams will be viewable on YouTube via web browsers, mobile and tablets through Call of Duty Elite as well as individual YouTube user channels.
Oddly enough, PC is not supported. Those players ironically, could use Origin instead.
This further enhances Treyarch's big push towards eSports gaming, and with both EA Origins and Black Ops 2 making live streaming a mainstay feature of their services, expect gaming videos to expand in a major way. This type of social media and interactivity will help redefine marketing, developer interaction and community development.
Time for Valve's Steam to get in the video game. Get it?
Are you going to broadcast your gaming?
-
Follow Rob on Twitter @rob_keyes.
Sources: EA, Activision