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Microsoft Acquires Beam Game Streaming Service, Embracing Alternative To Amazon's Twitch (geekwire.com)

Posted by msmash on from the video-is-future dept.

An anonymous reader shares a GeekWire report: Microsoft's Xbox group announced Thursday that it has acquired Seattle-based interactive game streaming service Beam, bringing the Redmond, Wash.-based tech giant into an arena dominated by Amazon's Twitch. Microsoft said in a blog post the deal will help make Xbox more social and interactive. Beam launched in January, with a goal of giving people watching gamers the ability to participate in the experience. Viewers can affect gameplay by presenting new challenges and quests using visual controls.

1 of 29 comments (clear)

  1. super low-latencyvideos by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    A better summary from The Next Web (No affiliate)

    Microsoft is getting into the livestreaming game with its latest purchase. The company has picked up Beam, a six-month-old service that competes with Twitch and YouTube gaming.

    Beam’s key advantage over the big players is its super low-latencyvideos, allowing users to interact with streamers in something that approaches real time (instead of the usual 10 second delay). That makes streaming more of an active back-and-forth with broadcasters, adding an interactive element that Twitch and YouTube gamers can’t quite achieve

    For example, you could be playingCounter Strike, and get instant suggestions from your streamers as to how to strategize. In Minecraft, you could get advice on where to place your next set of blocks. Or maybe you just need some help getting through a Halo mission – that’s a lot more useful without the delay.

    The purchase is specifically focused on Xbox, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see live-streaming become a native feature for the next iteration of the console – or perhaps even in the current one.

    In the meantime, Beam says nothing will change for current users; the Microsoft purchase will simply pour more resources into the company – and scale more quickly – than it might have otherwise.

    http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2016/08/11/microsoft-just-bought-livestream-service-thats-faster-twitch-youtube/