The ever-popular streaming service Twitch may not reach Nintendo’s Wii U console after all, head honcho Reggie Fils-Aime told Polygon.
Twitch has become a staple of this most recent console generation. In fact, cameras for the PS4 were completely sold out thanks to unforeseen demand, and Microsoft made sure the service was integrated into the Xbox One soon after launch. Though Nintendo has shown quite some interest in Twitch, going as far as actually using them for their official E3 stream, they have confirmed that they do not want a Twitch app on the Wii U…yet.
The reason? It’s not fun, according to Nintendo’s own Reggie Fils-Aime:
“We don’t think streaming 30 minutes of gameplay by itself is a lot of fun”
This doesn’t mean that they do not recognize how useful or interesting replay and recording features like Twitch can be, however. For one, Reggie mentions the fact that Mario Kart 8 replays give a filtered, and overall more fun experience for the spectators of these clips as a counter argument, mentioning the fact people “wouldn’t like 30 minutes of raw gameplay”.
It makes sense for Nintendo officials to say this considering the company’s recent take on revenue from YouTube videos, which they recently decided to start sharing with YouTubers via a new affiliate program. We’ve already seen some of the results of this more direct approach on Mega64’s amazing video for Nintendo’s E3 plans (which you should see right now, if you haven’t already).
These are just some of the few recent decisions that have shown Nintendo has an entirely different view on streaming as compared to Sony and Microsoft, with a much more “hands-on” approach rather than simply giving out the necessary tools. More curated, specific and well-thought-out content is needed according to the current president of Nintendo of America, which would make for a better experience overall for everyone involved.
In time, Nintendo’s stance on Twitch streaming may change, but for the moment it seems we’ll all have to stick to old fashioned recording devices to broadcast gameplay of Nintendo’s current-gen console. Considering the content, such as the company’s E3 Smash Bros stream and Mega 64 promotionals, that we’ve gotten from their own, left-field approach though, that might not be a bad thing at all.