With Launch Of YouTube Gaming Twitch TV Gets A Serious Competitor

SAN BRUNO, CA -- YouTube Gaming is live. YouTube's videogame site, which launched Aug. 26, is predicted to offer serious competition to such well-known videogame hosting services as Dailymotion and Twitch TV, since the majority of users of those services already employ YouTube channels for archival purposes and events re-streaming. YouTube Gaming is expected to offer those same gamers a one-stop shop for such events and uploads.

Promoted as the "go-to destination for anything and everything gaming," YouTube Gaming offers streaming events, as well as a "DVR mode" that allows for replay and rewinding of events.

The debut of the new channel comes at a time when the remaining coin-op videogame sector is exploring the use of online media. Whether YouTube Gaming will encourage more coin-op and FEC participation is unknown.

YouTube is a unit of Google. YouTube Gaming arrives approximately one year after the search engine giant lost its bid to buy Twitch to Amazon for $970 million.

According to company officials, YouTube Gaming will also offer an Android app that will allow gamers to interact with the site via smartphone and tablet. At present time, the site is only available in English, though other languages will be added at a later date.