Live streaming service Twitch is now testing a system which allows streamers to pay for increased visibility. The service is popular among streamers, particularly those within the video game industry, but that popularity is beginning to wane. Many streamers have recently begun leaving Twitch in favor of YouTube Gaming, with a number of recent controversies surrounding Twitch presumably being a major cause.
While Twitch remains the premier destination for video game streamers, the platform has been involved in some serious controversies recently. The service's community can be extremely volatile, with streamers suffering through harassment from both other streamers and their own viewers. Hate speech has become a major plague on the platform, with "hate raids" involving groups of individuals harassing streamers becoming a frequent occurrence. While moderation tools do exist on Twitch, they seem incapable of effectively preventing hate speech and harassment to users' satisfaction. In August a Twitch streamer protest called #ADayOffTwitch was held as an attempt to elicit tangible change from Twitch to protect its community.
In its latest controversial move, reported by Kotaku, Twitch has begun testing a "pay-to-win" promotion system for streamers. This boosting system allows streamers to pay a fee which will make their content much more visible to other Twitch users. This effectively allows streamers to pay for success, as increased visibility can lead to increased profits if a significant number of views are gained. Currently, Twitch's boosting system is only available to limited users as part of a research venture.
While many users see Twitch's new boosting system as an exploitative "pay-to-win" system, the live stream service recently enacted a more positively accepted policy. Back in August the service announced Local Sub Pricing, a new pricing method that lowers Twitch subscription prices throughout most of the world. Local Sub Pricing means that subscription prices for streamers and viewers are all equivalent to 3.99 EUR, meaning that exchange rates will result in cheaper prices in most locations. Morocco and Turkey were the first two countries to enjoy this change, and the project was well-received by users.
Twitch's new boosting system has been quite divisive among users, with various pros and cons attributed to the initiative. Paying for higher visibility could help new streamers find success, as they can more easily break through the waves of more established channels. However, the system could instead lead to successful channels getting all of the spotlight, as their success will give them more funds to spend on boosting. While further testing is no doubt required, Twitch's boosting system could easily create a "pay-to-win" scenario that leaves the service's newer channels at a disadvantage.
Source: Kotaku