TikTok Gaming Pros, Critical Role's Beacon, and Vtuber Logo Trend

Zach Bussey -

Last week, I asked you whether you felt time was going faster or slower, and 87% of you said FASTER. That's actually not what I was expecting in the streaming space! Considering everything has been trending down again, my own perception of time has been that it's slowed from the breakneck speed of 2020-2023. Alas, now I need to process this perception! So, let's get into this week's recap!

Twitch News

  • Ofcom has secured better protection for children (in the UK) on Twitch, including limiting content on the front page and for logged-out or underage users. These seem reasonable and should be applied to all regions globally.
  • Twitch Dev joined the fun Vtuber logo trend. Normal vs uwu. The artist was thrilled. (Also, check out our own ?uwu=true!
  • Twitchcon San Diego content submissions close TODAY at midnight PT (if you're reading this on the day I posted it).
  • Unity Guild Leader applications are now open. This is a paid position, but not employment. This has renewed calls for Twitch to launch Guilds for Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, Disability, and AAPI creators.
  • The European Association for the Study of Obesity claims young people are being 'bombarded' with junk food advertising on Twitch.
  • Korean creators got a final warning that monetization will be terminated on their accounts on June 4th.
  • Twitch's Partner Discord is undergoing maintenance to improve the experience and break it into geographic regions.

Streaming Industry News

  • Amazon is testing new Prime Video ads for live shopping. It's unclear if these ads will be coming to Twitch.
  • YouTube's secret weapon in winning the TV streaming wars is their top creators.
  • TikTok Live is launching a new Gaming Pro Badge and the Gaming Creator Club. You can apply for it here.
  • TikTok has officially sued the US Government, saying the potential ban violates the First Amendment. You can read their petition here.
  • TikTok's global head of communications, Hilary McQuaide, has left the company.
  • TikTok can detect fake merch, but other companies may struggle.
  • Substack is attempting to court video creators with a new creator program. (Application link shared below!)
  • OpenAI is building a tool to let content creators 'opt-out' of training their models.
  • Vtuber streaming app AniLive is launching on iOS in Open Alpha this week.
  • Japanese Vtuber streaming app Iriam is targeting a launch in the United States in the fall.