Microsoft announced today that it has signed an agreement to acquire Beam, an interactive livestreaming service that gives viewers the ability to watch and play along with their favorite game streamers in real-time.
Beam has one clear advantage over game streaming services such as Twitch: it changes game streaming from a passive, watch-and-chat experience into one with real-time participation by the viewer; directly into a streamer’s game play and live broadcast.
For example, Minecraft streaming viewers can play along with the streamers by giving them new challenges and making real-time choices that affect their gameplay, from tool selection to quests to movement. Microsoft also plans to leverage Beam to allow different crews to interact together in its upcoming multiplayer adventure game "Sea of Thieves."
"We at Xbox are excited about this convergence between playing and watching, and want to provide gamers with the freedom and choice to have great multiplayer experiences across all of Beam’s platforms" said Xbox Live Partner Group Program Manager Chad Gibson. "This acquisition will help gamers enjoy the games they want, with the people they want, and on the devices they want."