Gameplay streaming service Twitch has announced a new feature which brings it closer to broadcast TV. Twitch users will be able to promote streams from other users during their downtime. They will essentially be able to host another user’s gameplay stream even when they’ve stopped broadcasting themselves. Its like embedding somebody else’s video on your website.
Twitch is going to switch on Host Mode later today. Once a user is done broadcasting he or she can choose to display someone else’s stream instead of going dark. The chatroom in their channel will stay open so that viewers can communicate but the user’s own video will be replaced by an embedded version of the stream they host.
The service believes that this feature is beneficial for both. The host is able to keep viewers engaged to their channel even when they’re offline and they can use the feature to point out interesting streams or promote streams from friends or family.
Views received on the hosting channel will count toward the channel that’s being hosted and viewers will be able to subscribe to the hosted channel directly from the host’s page. Twitch believes that Host Mode will help its community discover new broadcasters and give users a new and better way of communicating with each other. It also promises new social features for the service in the near future.
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