TwitchCon Paris 2023 was successful in more ways than one, with the event attracting streamers from all over the world to the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in the capital of France. Apart from all the activities held across the two days, including the highly-popular TwitchRivals, there was another major announcement that had the online world talking and continues to do so.
The purple platform revealed that it plans to roll out Stories on the sidelines of this semi-annual gaming convention. This feature has become synonymous with platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and even LinkedIn after Instagram first lifted it off Snapchat almost a decade ago, and now, after much demanding and hand-wringing, it will be seen on everyone’s favorite streaming site.
Upon arrival, this ephemeral media format will be accessible on the 'Following' page of Twitch's mobile app, although they will be subject to the site's Community Guidelines and automated safety systems. Creators can also choose to limit the visibility of Stories that they upload only to those who follow them. For now, Stories is scheduled to be added to Twitch in October, although it is not the only feature purported to be in the pipeline.
The Amazon-owned site also revealed during the video game and entertainment fair that it plans to introduce the Discovery Feed, which it promised would help content creators grow their audiences more easily (even when not streaming). Like Stories, this feature will be available on the mobile app and comprise live and recorded content.
Limited testing of the Discovery Feed has already started so that things are at the optimum when it is rolled out to the entire Twitch user base in late 2023. The company added that it was working on other improvements, including the platform’s built-in clip editor — which has already been released — so it allows broadcasters to export vertical videos directly to TikTok.
Officials said:
“Because Twitch is all about live, interactive channels, it’s not our goal for viewers to spend hours in a Clips feed. Our investment in Clips is to help viewers discover your channel so they join you and your community when you stream.”
Streamers can also now have more control over when ad breaks play during their streams. The new chat countdown displays exactly when an advertisement will play, helping them delay it if it’s going to disrupt an exciting bit of gameplay or a conversation with their community.
Twitch has not had the best of times in 2023, with many content creators leaving for pastures anew, especially Kick and Rumble. However, it seems to have listened, at least partly, to the popular sentiment and worked to address issues that have plagued users and its influencers recently. How these tweaks, and the new features, work out, in the long run, could decide which direction the platform heads come the new year.