San Francisco--YouTube on Friday said it is creating an online arena devoted to video game play, jumping onto a hot "e-sports" trend and challenging Amazon-owned Twitch.
YouTube Gaming will debut in Britain and the United States in the coming months, according to product manager Alan Joyce.
"YouTube Gaming is built to be all about your favorite games and gamers, with more videos than anywhere else," Joyce said in a blog post.
"From 'Asteroids' to 'Zelda,' more than 25,000 games will each have their own page, a single place for all the best videos and live streams about that title."
YouTube Gaming will also have channels devoted to specific game publishers or personalities.
A preview of the new YouTube offering, including game content creators such as 'iHasCupquake' and 'NadeShot,' will be showcased at a major Electronic Entertainment Expo extravaganza next week in Los Angeles.
"Live streams bring the gaming community closer together, so they've put them front-and-center on the YouTube Gaming homepage," Joyce said.
"In the coming weeks, YouTube will launch an improved live experience that makes it simpler to broadcast your game play to YouTube."
AFP
