Twitch streams games being played for non-playing viewers to watch, and hosts gaming events. It also allows viewers to chat with the players and others, functionalities which are similar to a social networking website, and it sells advertising to generate income.
The company claims more than 55 million visitors a month to its website, via desktop computers, tablets and smartphones, and more than 1 million transmitting gamers who stream video of their games over the internet via Twitch.
It also says that visitors log significant periods on the website, averaging 106 minutes a day per person. In July 2014 viewers booked 15 billion minutes.
Twitch has integrated the recent versions of Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One consoles, allowing gamers to play online. Twitch’s broadcasters, included individual gamers, pro players, publishers, developers, media outlets, conventions and stadium-filling e-sports organisations.
Amazon already has a presence in video games with its development arm Amazon Game Studios, reinforced in 2014 with its acquisition of Double Helix Game studio.
It also has integrated online games in its streaming media player Fire TV, launched earlierin 2014.
Despite impressive sales gains, Amazon reported a decrease in sales, with a net loss of USD 126 million widening from USD 7 million in 2013.
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