Twitch broadcasting adds video chat to mobile gaming

Online mobile games require a robust amount of Internet horsepower just for the games to function properly, but the growing popularity of Twitch broadcasting is adding video chat bandwidth requirements to the equation. Twitch is an offshoot of video streaming service Justin.tv, and has garnered popularity by adding video chat capabilities to game consoles such as the new Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Gamers can trade video smack talk while they compete in a variety of well-known gaming titles.
The company recently announced support for its first mobile video game — freeware racer Asphalt 8 — on the iOS platform. In March, Twitch introduced a developers kit for Android and iOS game developers looking to add video chat support to their releases. Gameloft, Asphalt 8’s developer, optimized Twitch support for the game for newer iOS devices such as the iPad Air, the iPad Mini with Retina, and the iPhone 5s.

Video chat capabilities raise the bar for mobile and gaming providers
Twitch’s popularity means mobile and online gamers are now expecting bandwidth-consuming, higher-end features such as video chat to be a part of their gaming experience. Great graphics, fast action, and compelling game play are no longer enough. Online and mobile game providers need to enhance their technology to support video chat and other social gaming features.
Since these same game developers also need to focus on excellent user experience design and storytelling, working with a technology partner offers the best opportunity to optimize a game’s back end without hampering the development process. In many cases, developers will benefit from partnering with a content delivery network (CDN).

The benefits of a CDN for online gaming
Web acceleration technology provided by an industry-leading CDN offers faster and more secure game downloads, which leads to a larger customer base. Unlimited scalability ensures that high traffic doesn’t hamper the gaming experience as a game becomes more popular. Video chat capabilities are easily supported, with bandwidth to spare.
As Twitch broadcasting and other similar services continue to grow, gamers’ expectations increase as well. Supporting video chat and other bandwidth-intensive gaming features is a breeze when working with a CDN.
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