From PC World: Maybe it’s time to start paying attention to Microsoft’s livestreaming play. After acquiring fledgling service Beam last August, then integrating Beam into Windows 10 and the Xbox One, today Microsoft announced a whole raft of changes to make the service more appealing—starting with a new name, Mixer.
Well...not the best start. Sounds like a bad dating site.
The name change is really the least interesting of today’s changes though. “More than just the name, we’re launching several of the features that you all have been asking for. Features that will unlock a whole new world of possibilities for social streaming, and help viewers find the content they’re looking for across the service,” wrote Mixer/Beam co-founder Matt Salsamendi in today’s announcement.
Social streaming is the key phrase. Beam distinguished itself by touting “livestreaming that’s actually live,” a.k.a. with minimal one or two second latency, a huge advantage over Twitch’s 10 to 15 seconds for non-partners. With low latency, conversations between streamer and audience can be a lot more natural.
It also allows the audience to participate in the game—for instance, voting on choices in Telltale games or judging entries in Jackbox Party Pack, effectively becoming part of the stream. These interactions are possible on YouTube and on Twitch, especially for partners who are given lower-latency streams, but there’s no beating the immediacy of one-second latency.
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