As Competition With Twitch Intensifies, Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Turns To Game Sales

In the never-ending battle for the hearts and minds of gamers, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has its hands full with some stiff competition from streaming video platform Twitch. The tech giant has a game streaming platform of its own named Mixer, and it has just debuted a new feature that should help it capture even more attention.

Techcrunch shares the details on the exciting changes to Mixer.

Twitch has long since allowed its streamers to generate revenue from their channels through things like subscriptions, virtual tipping and game sales. Microsoft is adopting one of those features for its own game streaming service, Mixer, with today’s launch of “Direct Purchase.”
The addition will allow streamers to promote purchases — including game titles and other content — that are available for sale from the Microsoft Store. It can support things like base games, specific game editions, downloadable content, add-on packs and more. All of these items can be purchased directly from the streamer’s Mixer channel itself, without having to exit the stream.

The Direct Purchase marketplace will feature downloadable content and more than 5,000 games from Microsoft’s library. Broadcasters on Mixer will have to activate the feature before using it, but they will then be free to select the content that they wish to promote.

Twitch pays out 5 percent to partners and affiliates, and Microsoft will match that. However, the feature will only be available to partners initially, but other streamers will gain access in the coming months.

Microsoft Corporation shares were trading at $93.15 per share on Wednesday morning, up $0.43 (+0.46%). Year-to-date, MSFT has gained 9.41%, versus a 2.14% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

MSFT currently has a StockNews.com POWR Rating of A (Strong Buy), and is ranked #1 of 65 stocks in the Software – Application category.