The social network will offer a new section dedicated to video games in the news feed of its subscribers. For Facebook, the goal is also to compete with Twitch by leveraging its hundreds of millions of users.
It was missing only Facebook in the great battle of the streaming video game that will engage the GAFA in the coming months. Mark Zuckerberg's network is starting to offer its subscribers a section dedicated to gaming .
Facebook launches gaming with Twitch as a target to shoot down
Available directly from the home page of the site or mobile application, it allows to find games available on the platform and play immediately with friends, but also to connect more easily network users and streamers .Because if Facebook will not fight with Google and Microsoft in the field of video game development, the firm wants to compete frontally Twitch , the leading platform in the distribution of video games and e-sports.
To attract all or some of the most popular streamers of the moment, Facebook promises its main competitor much lower commissions on donations sent by players to their favorite videographers. The social network offers a range of between 5 and 30% commission and subscription fees would be set at 30%, against nearly 50% for Twitch.
It will now be necessary to convince streamers and players
The streamers could therefore maximize their income but it will be very difficult, if they make the decision to migrate to Facebook, to attract all of their communities. Players remain very attached to Twitch for its positioning and its features turned entirely towards the video game.A simple copy, without innovations, will struggle to convince videographers already very installed. Facebook's image, stuck in its business of leaking personal data, does not help.
Facebook has for it its community, very impressive, 700 million members who play games on the platform or watch videos related to the video game. The social network, to clearly separate its gaming activity from the rest of its services, will also offer a new dedicated Android application, the previous one launched last year was not a huge success with only 100,000 downloads.