Blizzard Has A New Friend In Facebook As The Two Join Forces For Overwatch Live Streaming
Published: Jun 9, 2016 - Last Updated: Oct 4, 2022
The high-definition video stream should help players and spectators stream and follow their favorite games, and it includes a built-in algorithmic system that provides viewers with match statistics, an up-to-the-minute leaderboard and situational insights.
Following this announcement, Blizzard recently made public that it’s also working with Facebook to implement the social media’s Live API into its current slate of games.
Later this month, players will be able to use their Facebook login to access Blizzard games on PC. The company has chosen its new, extremely popular game Overwatch to be the guinea pig for this project.
The success of Overwatch
Overwatch, a first-person shooter and Blizzard’s new intellectual property, has seen more than seven million players worldwide in the first week of its launch. According to the game’s creator, it is “one of the most successful global game launches of all time.”
The game started off with a beta phase and was officially launched on May 24. It includes an innovative feature called “Play of the Game” that shares the best play of every match with everyone in the server. The partnership between Blizzard and Facebook should help bring this type of streaming onto social media.
Even though the game costs $40 (many similar games are free-to-play), it already has a massive player base, which could show how much gamers trust Blizzard to continue supporting the title in the future, especially after such a successful launch.
Sharing your play mid-game with a click on a button
An amazing new feature of this business endeavor will be the ability to live stream gameplay directly onto your Facebook feed using Facebook Live and an in-game “Go Live” button. Players will basically be able to share situations, like a massive team wipe or a one-on-one ownage, instantly after it happens.
Said Gio Hunt, executive vice president of corporate operations at Blizzard, in a release:
“Blizzard games are best when played with friends, so it’s important to us to provide our players with features and services that make it easy and fun to share their experiences with each other. We’re working closely with Facebook on this integration for Overwatch, as well as our other games, and we look forward to sharing further details on our plans as development progresses.”
An added bonus for a better community
Another plus side of integrating Facebook is the reduction of anonymity, which could lead to less unwanted in-game behavior, like hate speech or cheating.
First-person shooter games like Overwatch often attract cheaters, and Blizzard has taken a zero tolerance policy in combating them. Linking a personal Facebook account to Battle.net could make would-be offenders think twice about whether to behave inappropriately if it means facing a lifetime ban from Blizzard products.
Facebook integration should start going live in Overwatch later this month, with other Blizzard titles following in the future.
Image credit: dolphfyn / Shutterstock.com
Since: September 12, 2015
