Twitchcon is underway in sunny San Diego, California, and gamers around the world are in attendance to witness the latest technology that will be coming out from different studios within the next few years. Early today, Twitch and Amazon announced the launch of Twitch Prime. Twitch Prime will include a free copy of Proletariat’s new game , Streamline, and exclusive in-game items.
Twitch Prime is a service that benefits Amazon Prime members allowing for Amazon Prime users to receive Twitch’s paid services without paying extra. Twitch Prime will also offer discounts on games and provide free in-game content for games like Hearthstone and Smite.
Amazon and Twitch have partnered with Boston indie studio Proletariat, stating that the partnership was due to the unique ways “Streamline” integrates with the Twitch platform. The companies have been working together to create a new genre of game, built specifically for live-streaming, which is being called “Stream First.” Proletariat was founded by veterans of Harmonix, Insomniac, and Turbine; these founders came together to pursue novel mechanics and experiences while building fundamentally great games. The studio’s previous game, World Zombination, was released in February 2015; it was named Apple’s Editors’ Choice, Best iPad Game of February.
“Social video is a whole new entertainment experience, and Twitch and Amazon both understand that deeply,” said Seth Sivak, CEO of Proletariat. “We’re excited to explore this new genre with Streamline and that’s why we’re letting Twitch Prime members play for free.”
Streamline is being described as a fast-paced multiplayer game built for Broadcasters to play with their Viewers. The party system is integrated with Twitch, so Broadcasters can quickly make or manage a party, and then get back to creating exciting content. Interactions are taken out of chat commands by providing viewers with a web-based controller (streamote.tv) so they can bet on players, vote to change the rules of the game, and compete in games against other viewers without cluttering the chat.
“Twitch Prime is one of those unique cases where we have an opportunity to build a product that is equally great for all of our customers—streamers, viewers, and game developers,” said Emmett Shear, CEO of Twitch, in a statement. “Offering subscriptions free through Prime saves money for viewers, while supporting streamers to build their community. Free games and in-game content are always a hit with gamers, but they also let developers reach millions of new potential players. When Amazon acquired Twitch, the first thing the community asked was, ‘when will Twitch be bundled in with Amazon Prime?’ Twitch Prime answers that question in a way that speaks to our community.”
For players without Twitch Prime, Streamline is available to purchase for $19.99 directly through the Twitch channels of partnered broadcasters who play the game. With this new system, broadcasters will profit every time Streamline is purchased through their Twitch channel. Streamline can also be purchased on Steam through Early Access. Twitch Prime users also get a free subscription to a channel of their choice each month (normally $4.99) so you can support your favorite streamers without opening up your wallet beyond your Amazon Prime subscription.
Will this new genre of game succeed or will it just be a temporary fad? Either way, Amazon’s partnering with Twitch to create Twitch Prime is a great way to save money while also allowing more users to experience the additional benefits of Twitch.
