Twitch wants its users to start streaming their 'everyday lives'
Twitch wants its users to go beyond gaming.
The social video platform for gamers on Thursday announced a new category called "IRL" designed to enable and encourage Twitch users to share content from their everyday lives.
Twitch said the new category was inspired by feedback from creators, who said they wanted to interact with viewers in personal ways not tethered to video games.
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To support the category, Twitch -- which Amazon purchased in 2014 for about $1 billion -- also unveiled new community guidelines and upcoming plans to allow users to broadcast directly from the Twitch mobile app.
The mobile broadcasting feature launches in 2017.
"What we’ve heard repeatedly from them is that they are interested in sharing their everyday lives."
“We’re amazed by our creators who build thriving communities and create compelling content for millions of viewers,” Emmett Shear, CEO of Twitch, said in a statement. “While gaming is their core identity, what we’ve heard repeatedly from them is that they are interested in sharing their everyday lives, thoughts, and opinions with their communities. IRL is designed to help our creators foster that kind of community interaction.”
Saba was a Los Angeles-based reporter who covers all things digital entertainment, including YouTube, streaming services and digital influencers. Prior to that, she spent two years at the Los Angeles Times covering entertainment for the Calendar and Company Town sections. Saba grew up in Santa Monica and graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in political science. When not reporting, she is usually binge watching shows online or looking for new coffee shops to frequent.
