Live gaming is one area that has gained enormously during this lockdown and Facebook wants to have its share of the pie with launch of its own gaming app. The space is currently dominate by Twitch from Amazon and YouTube from Google. Between them, the two enjoy 89% of the live gaming industry with Twitch having the lion’s share of 61%.
Facebook reportedly had its plans to launch the gaming platform only by later, in June. 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown has however prompted it to advance it by a couple of months and it is being rolled out now, beginning April 20, 2020. The platform will curate the games already being played on the other platforms helping the streaming community adopt Facebook as an alternate place to hold their games. The Facebook Gaming feature will be available on Android devices to start with. Apple will have to wet the applicability on the iOS devices.
Facebook has the advantage of a 2.5 billion strong user base and it sees this opportunity of connecting more people through the gaming feature. Facebook Gaming already has posted a 210% jump in the number of hours watched in the period between December 2018 and December 2019. The company has roped in well known talent to its platform. These include Twitch streamer Gonzalo “ZeRo” Barrios, YouTube personality Corinna Kopf, and former UFC champion, Ronda Rousey.
Facebook will have a ‘Go Live’ button on its page and users will have the option of picking up games already on their mobile to be streamed on the Facebook page. “Level Up” is the tool within Facebook to make the exercise earn the streamers some money. Twitch and YouTube too have their monetisation programmes within their apps.
So, you could become a streamer yourself on Facebook and have the best of both worlds, entertain yourself and others and make some money on the side.