Twitch Unveils Channel Point Alerts: A Game-Changer for Streamers
Twitch has unveiled a new feature, Channel Point alerts, in response to user feedback. This feature and other improvements such as Hype Chat alerts aim to enhance user engagement and community interaction during live streams.
Alerts are a crucial tool for Twitch streamers. They’re a fun way to show off your personality, give a shout-out to your community, pump up your brand, and even pad your wallet. And now, Twitch has made it even easier by adding Alert functionality straight into the Creator Dashboard.
Here’s the lowdown on the Twitch Alerts you can enable:
- Followers
- Subscriptions
- Gifted Subscriptions
- Cheering
- Raids
- Charity
- Hype Trains
- Goals
- Channel Points
- Hype Chat
Twitch Alerts can be replayed, skipped, or deactivated, and can be used in conjunction with existing alert setups, allowing streamers to experiment with the new features easily. Furthermore, the alerts are fully customizable with HTML and CSS catering to streamers who prefer to fine-tune their graphics.
As Twitch continues to build its Alert service it remains to be seen whether streamers will begin to shift from traditional alert providers such as Streamlabs and StreamElements. Time will tell!
Goodbye, Blue Bird: Twitter Rebrands as ‘X’
Twitter has undergone a significant rebranding led by its owner, Elon Musk. The platform’s iconic blue bird logo has been replaced with a white “X” on a black background, and the name of the business has been changed to X Corp. This change is currently visible on the desktop version of Twitter, with updates to the mobile app expected soon.
In addition to the logo change, Musk has announced that “tweets” will henceforth be known as “x’s”. Musk’s vision for Twitter, or now X, is to transform it into a “super app”, a concept he has been discussing for several months. This vision is inspired by successful super-apps from Asia like WeChat and PayTM, which offer a wide range of services to their users.
The rebranding has been met with mixed reactions. Some mourn the loss of the beloved blue bird logo, including its designer, Martin Grasser. Others see it as an exciting new opportunity, including Twitter’s new CEO, Linda Yaccarino, who believes that X will “transform the global town square.”
With Meta rolling out Threads and Twitter morphing into X, it’s shaping up to be a real showdown in the world of short text-based content. These tech heavyweights are duking it out to become the top spot for everyone who loves to share their thoughts with an audience. As these platforms shake things up and keep us guessing, it’s anyone’s game on who will end up being the go-to platform for creators.
From TikTok to Twitch: The Spread of NPC Streaming
NPC streaming, a trend that has taken TikTok by storm, is expected to make its way to Twitch soon. This innovative form of live streaming sees creators acting like Non-Player Characters (NPCs) from video games, interacting with viewers based on pre-set phrases and actions. Viewers guide the actions of the streamer by purchasing virtual gifts with virtual coins, which prompt specific responses from the streamer.
The appeal of NPC streaming lies in its high level of interactivity, the suspense of seeing if a streamer will break character, and its potential for monetization. Viewers enjoy a sense of direct influence over the stream, while creators see a new revenue stream from the virtual gifts purchased by viewers.
NPC streaming on Twitch is still in its early stages. Twitch streamers will need to design an interactive and immersive experience, as, unlike TikTok, Twitch does not have unique virtual items for viewers to gift. Twitch Partner Vio recently hosted an Among Us-themed NPC stream, attracting more than 1,600 unique viewers and earning $1,400 in just one 6-hour stream.
