Google lets Android developers build video recording and livestreaming into games

Game developers on Android now have an easy way to turn their fans into livestreamers.

Google revealed today that it is opening up Android’s built-in gameplay recording to developers. Studios can enable players to start recording or broadcasting their gameplay with the touch of a button. This means Clash of Clans players, for instance, don’t need any extra hardware or software to begin making video content. They can then directly upload these clips to YouTube (or any other service). Google plans to launch this in the “coming months” as a way to give Android developers a way to reach YouTube’s massive audience that helps power the $34.8 billion mobile gaming industry.

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Gaming is one of the biggest categories on YouTube. It is the reason why Google has pushed further into the game-video space, which SuperData Research estimates is worth $3.8 billion, with the YouTube Gaming app. So Google benefits on both ends if opening up video to more people increases content on YouTube while simultaneously acting as marketing for games on Android.

YouTube isn’t alone in gaming video. While it is the leader in video-on-demand, it is actually behind Twitch when it comes to live content. And both YouTube and Twitch are starting to face more competition when it comes to mobile with upstarts like Kamcord and Mobcrush pushing hard in that sector. But Google is using its reach with this latest move. In most cases, gamers will need extra software to start broadcasting to something like Kamcord or Twitch, but Google can see that developers build its option right into every game on Android. That could give YouTube the advantage here.