Games designed for streaming need to include spectator interactivity

Watching other people play games has become big business. Last year alone, we watched over 60 billion hours of gaming footage on platforms such as YouTube, Twitch, and Mixer, while esports revenues pushed the $1 billion mark.

For the games industry, the whole concept of spectating came about as something of a happy accident, driven by the YouTube and Twitch generation of players rather than the developers and publishers. However, with demand for spectating now loud and clear, it’s up to the competitive game industry to pick up the baton and design the next generation of games with viewers in mind, starting from the concept stage.