YouTube Launching Gaming Channels
Over the course of several years, YouTube has renovated their entire platform. First and foremost, they brought about the innovative YouTube Red, which allowed consumers to utilize the service more freely. Of course, there was a minor catch. Those that wanted to benefit from the program would be forced to pay a monthly fee. Still, Red seems to have been a success and it did provide consumers with the ability to watch YouTube videos without ads and even save videos for later viewing offline. Now, the company is teaming up with host Geoff Keighley for the upcoming E3.
As the popularity of e-sports have soared to new heights, more and more companies are jumping on the bandwagon and YouTube is no different. YouTube is expected to launch brand new gaming events in 2016 and it'll all begin at the upcoming E3. First and foremost, the company will be launching a brand new hub, which will be solely dedicated to E3 2016. The hub will give viewers the ability to scour through and watch all videos and streams associated with the event. This helps them avoid having to search endlessly through the site's content, in order to find precisely what they're after. This will be implemented on June the 12th and will feature EA and Bethesda.
Secondly, the site's gaming portion will begin broadcasting an array of other gaming events. They'll launch several more gaming hubs for gaming events and E-Sports competition. Although the service isn't available yet, the company's decision to focus on e-sports definitely speaks to the popularity of such competition and provides hope to those that one day see the sport filling stadiums across the world. This is yet another way e-sports is becoming legitimized.
Earlier this year, it was announced that the collegiate conference, Pac-12, would begin engaging in e-sports. The president of the organization admits the growing interest in the competitions and tournaments helps to pave the way towards the decision. With the help of Pac-12, esports will now become a collegiate activity and will allow college gamers to compete against one another in intense showdowns. Early in April, Pac 12's Arizona State University managed to capture the championship of the Heroes of the Dorm competition. Several universities within Pac-12 already engage in e-sports, so it is truly a perfect fit for the organization.
With the recent boost in popularity, YouTube Gaming is currently preparing for the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo. This event is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles, June 14-16 and will be aired over multiple live streaming sources. Of course, live coverage is expected to begin as early as June 12, with an extensive post-coverage brought to viewers by Rooster Teeth. Geoff Keighley is hosting the E3 show, which will be streamed live.
With the announcement from YouTube and the recent Gadget Show Live in Birmingham, it is certain esports is gaining traction and it is unlikely the competitions will go away quietly. Whether you're a casual gamer or spend your days enhancing your skills, you should be excited! The competitions are exciting, whether you're watching from home or engaging in battle and YouTube will make it easier for you to do the former.
