A report has been circling the internet indicating that Google has successfully bought over game streaming service Twitch. The news, originating from VentureBeat, claims that the deal has already been signed; at least according to sources close to the matter. Scant details have surfaced, although Youtube is said to be in charge of the deal going through.
Twitch is easily the fastest growing streaming service in the world. Catering almost exclusively to gaming, it has been integrated with both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One; not to mention a large number of PC games are also designed to support streaming to Twitch. If the purchase happens, it could put Google as the owner of the biggest network of streaming sites, creating a virtual monopoly over the industry.
The thing is that Youtube has been building towards allowing streaming content, albeit without the integration with gaming. This move could be a shortcut to getting what Google wants without having to spend time developing their own solution to the issue. It would also allow the company to block any attempts from the competition to acquire Twitch and dominate the game streaming sphere. Other companies have been attempting to at least partner with the increasingly lucrative gaming space, especially after Facebook’s acquisition of Oculus.
Google is possibly obtaining Twitch at a bargain considering the amount of traffic and attention that the service has been getting. As the primary source of watching The International Dota 2 Championship 2014 and a successful social experiment in the form of Twitch Plays Pokemon that saw over 50,000 people attempt to play the same game of Pokemon Red.
Neither Google nor Twitch has issued any statement about the matter, although it might only be a matter of time before an official announcement is made.
[Source: VentureBeat]
