Google buys out Twitch, immediately ruins it

[cave hermit]

http://www.destructoid.com/yikes-twitch ... 9210.phtml
http://www.destructoid.com/twitch-is-ch ... 9202.phtml

Discuss.

I watch a lot of Vinesauce (awesome streaming group), and they love to play their favorite music during stream intros and breaks. Basically that means most of their videos have random stretches of audio muted now (like so: http://www.twitch.tv/vinesauce/b/553166447). Also they have had countless amazing streams that are begging to be rewatched (like Joel's Windows destruction streams and Vinny's corruptions), but now they're only retained for 14 days.



*Of course the real devil here is the RIAA*

[Pretas]

I for one would rather play games than watch them.

[szycag]

Every single GTA video is now muted? Obviously there's going to be a sea change really soon.

[rancor]

I for one would rather play games than watch them.

I'm with Pretas on this. #socialjustice, dudes that like MLP, and people watching other people play video games online just makes me shake my head in disbelief.

[Blinge]

Alright but use your head a bit. Twitch is the go-to place for streaming tournaments of competitive games.

in b4 "I for one would rather play sports than watch them"

[Ed Oscuro]

I'm usually in the "play, don't watch" camp but I was watching some of the Awesome Games Done Quick stuff (specifically the two blind Punch Out! runs, and the Metroid Prime run w/developer commentary) so losing the audio would be a real blow.

[cave hermit]

I for one would rather play games than watch them.

Honestly, I usually feel the same way, but tell me you wouldn't watch stuff like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9DST-6jIBU
and this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cQIXeYapKw
live.

There's more to Twitch (well, was more to Twitch) than the usual amateur MOBA streamers and Pewdiepie copycats.

[DJ Incompetent]

Don't touch my Salty Bet Dream Cast Casi- oh, this doesn't affect live stuff.

Sooo, hitbox.tv? Wasn't that the preferred place anyway?

[cave hermit]

Don't touch my Salty Bet Dream Cast Casi- oh, this doesn't affect live stuff.

Sooo, hitbox.tv? Wasn't that the preferred place anyway?

I guess if these changes aren't reverted (or at least made less awful) people will just move to hitbox. Of course once hitbox becomes popular the RIAA will target it prompting the site to create its own takedown bullshit. Also a lot of people don't have time to be around for a stream and watch the whole thing in one sitting. VOD is important.

[Astraea FGA Mk. I]

I for one would rather play games than watch them.

I'm with Pretas on this. #socialjustice, dudes that like MLP, and people watching other people play video games online just makes me shake my head in disbelief.

Maybe my mentality towards gaming is a selfish one? I generally don't care about how other people play games, what games they play, their opinions, their strategies or whatever narrative they want to express to the world as they play. There are exceptions such as when I am with friends and we are playing a game together in person. I also like the discussion on this forum as I see it as a very specific sect of the hobby that happens to fit with my interests and attitudes on the subject.
I don't even bother talking to random people about gaming. I just know they're going to try to talk to me about how great they are at playing CoD on xbox live or about the new sword they just got in WoW.

Back on topic, I think it is a massive shame that such a popular service has been commercialized to the point of self destruction. Suddenly a stringent legal rule-set has been imposed on something that was very open and allowed unbound expression. As soon as people have to filter that expression and adhere to irrational guidelines the whole point of the thing in the first place is lost.
I think it is inevitable, when something reaches a certain level of popularity there are people out there that see it as a way to make money, and making money carries legal connotations which in this case defeats the purpose entirely.

[Udderdude]

I'm not too worried as the main streams I watch are Starcraft 2 tournaments and fighting game tournaments .. and I'm way too lazy for VODs most of the time.

[sojtrash]

I for one would rather play games than watch them.

I'm completely average at fighting games, so I like watching high level play to learn new strategies, setups, mindgames, techniques etc. I see what you mean when it comes to LPs though

[Udderdude]

http://mutedvods.com/

[Lord Satori]

The most ridiculous part of this is that games like Brutal Legend and Rock Band would get flagged for it's content even though all of the songs are part of the game and thus completely legal.

[sojtrash]

[Cee]

I follow a fair few speedrunners streams namely GTA 3/VC runners and TMR so yeah this kinda sucks however many are already migrating to hitbox.tv which seems pretty decent thus far.

[Pretas]

Alright but use your head a bit. Twitch is the go-to place for streaming tournaments of competitive games.

in b4 "I for one would rather play sports than watch them"

Sure, but I would rather wait for said tournaments to be recorded, so I can watch them on my own time, avoid the annoying "stream monsters" in the chat box, and use the progress bar as needed.

[Udderdude]

Use addons like BetterTTV and Bigger Twitch to maximize screen space w/o going full screen, while also hiding the annoying chat ..

http://www.nightdev.com/betterttv/
https://greasyfork.org/scripts/3301-bigger-twitch

[Blinge]

I for one would rather play games than watch them.

http://www.twitch.tv/fishplayspokemon

WHERE IS YOUR GOD NOW

[Crayon]

I'm pretty sure Google hasn't taken control of Twitch yet, so saying Google is forcing Twitch to make these changes isn't completely accurate. From what I've been reading it seems 100% not accurate and these changes have all come from the Twitch camp.

[Teufel_in_Blau]

RAPE CULTURE!

[cave hermit]

RAPE CULTURE!

Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I realize how insensitive and dickish I'm being by comparing something as horrible as rape to something as trivial as this. Topic name changed.

[Crayon]

Here is something to read: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2 ... me_almost/

[cave hermit]

Honestly I started this thread minutes after reading about the change and seeing it in effect, so I was kind of being irrational and pointing fingers at Google. Really what I can't stand is this pattern:

>Promising new entertainment site is created
>Site becomes popular in niche groups
>Site becomes mainstream and exceedingly popular/widespread
>Site becomes commercialized and monetized, catching the eyes of MPAA and RIAA
>Jack booted paranoid thugs from MPAA/RIAA threaten to sue over trivial usage of their ips despite the fact it actually helps these groups (free advertising and endorsements) more than it hurts (who the fuck is going to watch some let's play that might play a small portion of a song for the sole purpose of listening to that song rather than paying for it?)
>Site takes preemptive measures, implements poorly designed, automated content censorship system
>Site is ruined

[sojtrash]

Here is something to read: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2 ... me_almost/

wow watch twitch burn

it's kind of entertaining

[Ed Oscuro]

The most ridiculous part of this is that games like Brutal Legend and Rock Band would get flagged for it's content even though all of the songs are part of the game and thus completely legal.

That's not how it works (for good or bad).

[nasty_wolverine]

I for one would rather play games than watch them.

http://www.twitch.tv/fishplayspokemon

WHERE IS YOUR GOD NOW

GOD HAS LEFT THE BUILDING....

[Blackbird]

...and the censorship life cycle continues =/. I do think it is useful to watch games as well as play them. I've learned quite a lot about playing shmups from observing other people play. Twitch isn't going to replace the arcade, but it's the closest thing I've got.

Streaming is also a fun social activity, because you can chat with your friends while you play. You can turn a single player game into a "multiplayer" get together.

[Ruldra]

http://www.twitch.tv/fishplayspokemon

It's been 5 days and the fish is yet to leave the first town. This one will take a while to complete

[system11]

Watch the comments get integrated with Google+ next.