Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 adds live Twitch streaming for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 (update: timing)
Shooter fans who've wanted to show their skills (or endure peer judgment) in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 through a live broadcast have usually had to go the YouTube route. That's fine for many, but some gamers will want to serve their own kind above all -- so it's with some relief that Treyarch is adding built-in streaming to the more game-focused Twitch video service. The new option will send both live audio and video from Black Ops 2 as long as there's an active Twitch account, as well as share word of exploits through Facebook or Twitter. Anyone committed enough to have a Call of Duty Elite subscription can also get a peek at a player's stats. Neither Treyarch nor Twitch has said exactly how soon they'll flick the livestreaming switch, although Wii U owners are once again left high and dry when Twitch support is limited to PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 3 owners.
Update: The company tells us that Twitch should be available as of noon Eastern.
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Call of Duty®: Black Ops II Enables Live Twitch Broadcasting
Activision and Treyarch's Innovative In-Game Live Streaming Feature Coming to Twitch,
Delivering the Ability to Share the Thrill of Call of Duty® Competition with the Masses
San Francisco, CA – January 30, 2013 – Twitch, the world's leading video platform and community for gamers, today announced a partnership with Activision Publishing, Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard (Nasdaq: ATVI), and the award-winning developer Treyarch, to bring Call of Duty®: Black Ops II live streaming broadcasts to Twitch viewers worldwide, allowing every gamer to become a broadcaster and share their excitement for the spirit of Call of Duty competition with fans around the world. Using innovative new in-game streaming feature from Activision and Treyarch, Call of Duty: Black Ops II players on Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and Windows PC will be able to broadcast their multiplayer games, player's webcam, as well as audio commentary feeds in real-time directly to Twitch.
"Making Call of Duty: Black Ops II not only fun to play, but also fun to watch was a key goal from the beginning of development," said Mark Lamia, studio head of Treyarch. "We pushed ourselves to build these features right into the game in order to make live streaming as accessible and as social as possible for everyone. One of the things that makes this so special is that there's no need for additional hardware or equipment, we want our fans to be able to share their experiences with the world."
"Live streaming Call of Duty in-game via a simple one-click option is a first of its kind feature that will blow the doors wide open to the online community," said Emmett Shear, CEO of Twitch. "There's nothing else like Call of Duty. With the weight of Call of Duty: Black Ops II bringing live broadcasting to the masses, in-game streaming has been taken to another level."
With the inclusion of instant broadcasting to the Twitch platform, it ensures an engaging and highly social experience for gamers who want to live broadcast and share their game sessions to the industry's largest audience of live gaming video.
Twitch features in Call of Duty: Black Ops II will include:
• Use your existing Twitch account or create a new one for free and immediately begin streaming gameplay
• Share your Twitch live stream link to Twitter and Facebook, easily connecting with your social network
• One-click broadcasting on Xbox® 360, PlayStation® 3, and Windows PC
In addition to Twitch, Call of Duty: Black Ops II player live streams will be viewable on Twitch via web browsers, mobile and tablets through Call of Duty Elite. Additionally, Call of Duty Elite users can see the player card of the user that is streaming. With only a couple of clicks, players will see added information, including class loadouts, recent match data, as well as career stats across supported Call of Duty® games on Call of Duty Elite.
