YouTube Gaming is continuing its quest to cement its place as the top video site for game-related content, and it’s rolling out new features to further its cause.
Google’s video company announced today that it is expanding its support for mobile gamers as well as providing new ways for content creators to generate revenue. For mobile, the company is rolling out its new “Mobile Capture” feature for the YouTube Gaming app. This will enable people who love Clash of Clans and Game of War to instantly start broadcasting their gameplay without needing to rely on any extra hardware. YouTube Gaming is also getting “sponsorships,” which are essentially paid subscriptions that support video makers. These are crucial improvements for YouTube as it continues to try to outstrip game broadcasting sites like Twitch and the mobile-focused Kamcord, which have millions of engaged viewers that are worth a lot to marketers.
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The update for YouTube Gaming is live right now, which means nothing is stopping you — or billions of other Android and iOS owners — from capturing and broadcasting their mobile games instantly to the Web. Built into this functionality is the capability to add video and voice to your livestreams, which will help players stay connected with their viewers.
YouTube’s mobile capture will put the squeeze on companies like Kamcord that have built their business around this model, but Google will have to prove that it is building a space where mobile gamers will feel at home. Both Twitch and YouTube serve PC and console gamers first, and that audience is not always the most welcoming to the mobile crowd.
But mobile and other kinds of gamers who do choose to use YouTube Gaming will have the option to partake in the Sponsorships features. This feature is in beta for a small number of creators, but when it launches it will give people the chance to support their favorite livestreams and video makers with a monthly pledge. Subscriptions start at $4 per month, and they can also get sponsors a chance to access exclusive chats and badges that set them apart from other viewers.
YouTube notes that its gaming platform is enormous with people consuming more than 144 billion minutes of gaming content every month, but capturing even more of that audience is worth a lot to marketers and brands. And that’s the pressure behind all of YouTube Gaming’s decisions.