What Mixer's Failure Means For Xbox Series X

[Nergal]

 

 

Facebook's streaming platform could be coming to the Xbox Series X console. Mixer, Microsoft's video game streaming platform and Twitch rival, is shutting down in July of 2020. The shutdown comes after Microsoft successfully acquired top Twitch streamers for its games streaming platform.

Microsoft dropped the bombshell announcement in June, stating the company has officially partnered with Facebook Gaming. According to an email from Xbox PR, the company hopes to transition its streamers and users to Facebook's streaming service over the coming weeks. Streamers like Shroud and Ninja initially left Twitch to stream on Mixer in 2019, lured to the new platform by lucrative contracts.

Microsoft launched Mixer in 2017 after acquiring Beam. Mixer was the second most popular streaming service in terms of streamers and downloads behind Twitch, boasting nearly four million unique channels. It was assumed Mixer would be the streaming platform of choice for Microsoft's next-gen gaming console Xbox Series X. The service is currently a part of the dashboard of the Xbox One console, allowing players to launch it from the menu. Mixer's streaming service has been integrated into the Xbox One for over two years.


Head of Xbox Phil Spencer confirmed on Twitter Xbox users will be able to choose where they want to stream from the Xbox Series X. According to Xbox's Major Nelson on Reddit, the new, open approach means built-in streaming from the Xbox One will temporarily be disabled after late July while Microsoft works on a new streaming solution for its users. Nelson says the company's goal is to "build it into a more social experience for Xbox players." Until changes are made on the console's dashboard, players can stream from Xbox One using the Twitch app or by connecting to a PC and streaming via software.

Despite the promises of an open approach to streaming, the new partnership between Microsoft and Facebook Gaming does suggest users may see some kind of integration with the next Xbox console, whether it's in conjunction with other streaming services or highlighted on its own. Microsoft could offer a dashboard button allowing sharing to a plethora of services like Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook Gaming. The door is open for multiple streaming partnerships, which could be a win for consumers, who previously had just one streaming option from Xbox One.

For Facebook Gaming, the partnership is a major victory even without a guaranteed position as Xbox Series X's streaming platform of choice. Project xCloud, Microsoft's game streaming platform, will be used by the social media giant. Project xCloud is an effort to make Xbox games playable on mobile phones. By pairing social media domination with Xbox exclusive mobile games, Microsoft and Facebook may have created a lucrative and symbiotic deal for both sides.

 

[CGTitan]

I doubt that Twitch has anything to worry about. They have a practical monopoly on the popularity game. Microsoft may be teaming up with another online monolith to take on a common foe, but Twitch has brand recognition, and that is worth more than anything or anyone else out there.