GTL: Twitch Bounties Empower Creators

Twitch has launched the Bounty Board program to help streamers have access to another source of revenue by streaming games that developers and publishers offer rewards for doing so, but questions have arisen over who truly benefits from the new program. With Twitch passing YouTube in popularity with viewers and content creators, and the video platform suffering problems with controversial creators that call it home, YouTube is looking to revamp itself with its Creators for Change program and well known celebrities. However, will this be enough to draw advertisers back to the platform? Mandie Roman discusses these issues with a panel of experts that including Youtube and Twitch content creator Mousie Mouse, Xander Jeanneret of the Library Bards, and Joshua Ovenshir of Smosh Games. 

The Twitch Bounty Board has been created as a method for streamers to make extra revenue by streaming specific titles for developers and publishers who put bounties up that offer a monetary reward for streamers who accept the proposal. The panelists discuss the positives and negatives that could arise from the newly implemented program, such as it giving smaller streamers an opportunity to work with large developers or publishers, or streamers losing viewers because they deviate from streaming games their audience comes to their channel for because of their commitment to completing a bounty. 

Discussion also covered how streamers will ultimately have to make business decisions on whether or not risking their normal audience to stream a game on the bounty board for a monetary value not guaranteed if they do not meet the concurrent viewer requirements. Included was how truthful streamers will be able to be regarding negative opinions on games for fear of upsetting the company behind the bounty game and the need for the Twitch Bounty Board program to have human moderation instead of an automated system that has been prone to issues on other platforms. 

"@Twitch is a business and a lot of people doing @Twitch #streams are very conscious about their brand, their business plan, and what they're going to do moving forward." -@Xanderrific, on Twitch #bountyboard

Watch Live: https://t.co/veB3iOIkQm pic.twitter.com/YjgXCckh6N

— GameTalkLive (@GameTalkLive) May 11, 2018

Game Talk Live then moves onto the struggles that YouTube has had in bringing back advertisers who have decided to move on from the platform due to controversy surrounding YouTube's most popular creators. With YouTube looking to get back into the good graces of advertisers, it has implemented the Creators for Change program that focuses on promoting smaller and positive content creators and the use of Hollywood star power in creation of content. Each panelist gives their thoughts and opinions on how they believe that these changes will affect the future of YouTube regarding new and current creators deciding to use the platform, as YouTube seems to be straying away from supporting the people who helped build its brand to what it is today. 

"@LoganPaul gives #YouTubers a bad name...Advertisers see that. They're like, 'My ad is going to run in front of thousands of channels– one...might be #LoganPaul's.' ...So YouTube has to take drastics steps to clean everything up." -@TheJovenshire

Watch: https://t.co/veB3iOIkQm pic.twitter.com/mcoaWcgDb5

— GameTalkLive (@GameTalkLive) May 11, 2018

This episode has wrapped up, but you can see it in its entirety in the video above. Be sure to check out the previous episode of Game Talk Live, where experts discuss the lasting impact that Minecraft has had on the video game industry.