Twitch Starts Selling The Games Streamers Play This Autumn

Millions of people watch games being played on Twitch. This autumn, they will be able to purchase the games they watch directly from the streaming site, with a portion of the revenue going to the on-screen talent.

[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/01/amazon-applies-for-a-patent-that-lets-you-stream-and-buy-games/” thumb=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/01/2017-01-30_143324-410×231.jpg” title=”Amazon Applies For A Patent That Lets You Stream And Buy Games” excerpt=”Amazon has filed an application for a patent which would, if granted and brought to fruition, would allow people to spectate video games with an attached storefront.”]

Detailed in a blog post over at Twitch.tv, the new game sales program will allow stream viewers to click a “Buy Now” button at the bottom of the stream page to purchase the game they are viewing. Sales go through Twitch parent company Amazon, and while games will be available worldwide, only US dollars will be supported as payment currency at launch.

Partnered streamers who opt-in to the program and play games from Twitch publishing partners will earn five per cent of the revenue generated from their stream. Feeds from streamers who have not opted into the sales program will still feature “Buy Now” buttons, but the streamers will receive no benefit.

Sweetening the pot for viewers, purchases made through Twitch (over $US4.99 [$7]) will earn the buyer a Twitch Crate filled with digital rewards like special icons and the like.

Here’s a video detailing the new program.

Current game makers signed up to have their stuff sold through Twitch include Ubisoft, Telltale Games, Digital Extremes, Hi Rez Studios, Double Fine Games, Fred Wood, 11Bit, Jackbox Games, tinyBuild, Raw Fury, Devolver Digital, Gambitious, Trion Worlds, Blue Mammoth Games, iNK Stories, Versus Evil, Proletariat, Paradox Interactive, Vlambeer and Campo Santo. Expect to see a lot more of their games being streamed once the program launches this autumn.