What are you playing?

Melissa Kay, @THEquadskater – With the impending battle between Press2Reset and Team Banana Punch this Sunday, League of Legends is my main squeeze for the weekend. I look forward to reaching a conclusion on that front. Naturally, I continue trekking through the post-apocalyptic world as Runner 5 in Zombies, Run! and will be finishing week two of the Couch to 5K program. Only six weeks to go and then I’ll dive back into Season 1 for the epic story missions. Raise the gates!

James Gardiner, @keltar93 – HA. HAHAHAHA. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!*

*James is currently cackling madly while lowering himself into a cage of rabid Siberian Tigers as preparation for playing Dark Souls for the first time over the weekend.

Sean Knight, @SeanDKnight – The weekend is here which means that the League of Legends match between Press2Reset and Team Banana Punch is going down! Know what this means? It means that I’ll be playing DOTA 2… err… LoL… yay? It all depends on who will be on P2R’s final roster. One thing’s for sure though… TBP is going to lose!

Ryan Boyce, @RJBESQ – With The International qualifiers upon us for the Dota 2 teams to compete around the world, almost all of my free time has been spent playing Dota 2 in celebration. My friends and I have formed a team to try and take things seriously, and have promptly lost four out of our first five games. With a track record like this, we’re easily getting invited to The International 2014! Otherwise, I’ve begun a video series chronicling my quest to play every single hero in alphabetical order that should continue this weekend. You can follow me on Twitter to see when I’m up and streaming the action.

It’s the big weekend! The fight between Team Banana Punch and Press2Reset is here, and you can bet I’ll be getting some practice in too. After a few pow-wows with my team over the next few days, we’ll have all the kinks ironed out of our game plan and will be sending this bunch of bananas to the compost heap on Sunday.

Mark Purcell, @Symposium56 - I’m around 25 hours into Final Fantasy XII, and I think it’s safe to say that this is the best Final Fantasy. I love how there are all these systems in the game. The license board is ingenious; it allows you to build each character in a unique way. I know some people out there dislike the gambit system, but I believe its ingenious. It’s fun to set up the list of commands and to watch the AI take care of everything. I can’t say enough good things about this game, so I’ll leave it at that and go back to hunting monsters.

David Kilborn, @DavidInRealTime – Having to read Mark’s posts every weekend about Final Fantasy games, I’ve been finding myself wanting to similarly indulge my need to get back into the series. After a bit of hunting, I finally own a copy of Final Fantasy Adventure for the Game Boy. This is one of the few Final Fantasy games I have never played and from what I understand it is truly a standout title for its generation. Whenever I run out of batteries, I will be unraveling the mystery of The Starship Damrey. But I’ve got loads of batteries.

Richard Hayden, @HaydenOnP2R – With the Legacy of Romulus expansion launching next Tuesday, I may use the next few days to immerse myself back in Star Trek Online. In some respects, it’s a limited MMO, not least in the fact that it has a defiantly solo approach to most missions. And this is why I love it. I’m delighted that the switch to f2p has resurrected the MMO’s fortunes and allowed Cryptic to build up the Romulans to a fully playable race.

Chris Root – With the platinum trophy under my belt, I can finally put my bizarre obsession with Deadly Premonition behind me. All that remains is the next ten years of intensive therapy trying to discover why said obsession existed in the first place. Perhaps now I can move on, and finally actually play through Blood Dragon. Then again, David’s talk about Final Fantasy Adventure (my all-time favorite GameBoy game) has made me a bit nostalgic. Perhaps I’ll dust off my Wii and have a go at The Secret of Mana, the spiritual successor to Adventure, and one of my all-time favorite games period. I mean, you get to beat up Santa Claus as a boss battle… who wouldn’t love that?!

Not for long Rudolph… Not for long…

Anton Wegenast, @VirusSixZero – Hey Zach, did you hear? Deadly Premonition has a Director’s Cut! I will be briefing you on the details and my thoughts shortly.

I will also be participating in the League of Legends showdown between P2R and Team Banana Punch. You’ll be watching, won’t you Zach?

Nate Hales, @nhales80 – The time is upon us. There is a score to be settled on the Fields of Justice and Sunday is the agreed upon day of battle. At 2:00 PM PST on May 19, the summoners will converge and only one team can emerge victorious. That team will be Team Banana Punch. As the lone representative I stand in defiance of what P2R has stated. We will win the day. It is the only possible outcome. Come watch the story unfold over at http://www.twitch.tv/press2reset orhttp://www.twitch.tv/teambananapunch or tune in here at Press2Reset to watch both streams live.  A summoner has reconnected.

Aenne Schumann, @PeachyAenne - Why do you think I’ll be playing any other game that’s not League of Legends!?  The time is upon us and Press2reset must step up to the challenge and defeat our enemies, Team Banana Punch. Anyone caught not playing LoL this weekend is going to be off the team (not really, but seriously). Join us for the fun, the shit talk, and our victory!

John Mobbs, @GamerPlox – It’s going to be a busy weekend for me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t fit a little gaming in somewhere! I’m really looking forward to Animal Crossing: New Leaf, which comes out out next month, so Animal Crossing: Wild World for DS seems like the perfect game to help me relax during my downtime, practice my fishing skills and finally pay off that mortgage.

I’m also planning on tuning in to watch our people at Press2Reset obliterate those losers from Team Banana Fail.. I mean Punch… at a game of League of Legends. You will too if you know what’s good for you. May the games begin!

Andrew Testerman, @iamaparade - I’ve been pining for a good JRPG lately, and all the while, Radiant Historia has been waiting for me like a dutiful teen comedy character who was “the one” the whole time. What I’m trying to say is that I’m looking forward to a weekend of playing DSi XL and watching She’s All That.

Kyle Holt, @keilhal – This weekend, I’m gonna break out a game that hasn’t seen the light of day in years. A game that no one liked minus me and ONE of my friends. A game that shouldn’t have made it out the studio but I’m glad it did. That game is Star Wars: Rebellion, better known as Everything You Needed to Know About Leadership. You see, this game taught me two things about being in charge: 1) 90% of being the boss is answering e-mail and 2) you’re the boss ’cause everyone else is worthlessly incompetent. Good times ahead…

Marc Lynch, @MarcOnP2R - After a dry spell of gaming over the last few days it’s time to hone the edge that has become my LoL skills. Expect to see me racking up the hours over the next couple of days in preparation for the final battles with Team Banana Punch. It’s the final countdown, folks. Don’t miss the match on Sunday. It’ll all be worth it.

After the huge amount of fun had by our teams in the last match-up, Press2Reset and Team Banana Punch have decided to do it again (and then again, and again, and…). This time we’ll be facing off in the Summoner’s Rift, the Crystal Scar, and the Howling Abyss. That’s right! If previous articles from Aenne, Nate, and myself weren’t big enough clues, we’re playing League of Legends.

Press2Reset vs. Team Banana Punch

Main event details:

May 19, 2:00-5:00 PM PST

Broadcasting live from both teams’ Twitch channels: Press2Reset and Team Banana Punch

2 rounds of 5v5 Classic in Summoner’s Rift
2 rounds of 5v5 Dominion in Crystal Scar
1 round of 5v5 ARAM (All Random All Mid) in Howling Abyss

As standard matches in LoL are five on five, you’ll need to meet the teams! Team Banana Punch is listed over at TBP co-host Denise Kuan’s Tumblr.

As for Team P2R, first meet our captain:

Ryan “Shredder” Boyce, The Esquire

Ryan “Shredder” Boyce, @RJBESQ

“Hey there! I’m Ryan Boyce, the captain of team P2R’s League of Legends team. I’ve got the most experience out of us, and have been rigorously training my teammates in preparation for the grand battle. I’m well rounded, I can play nearly every role at a decent skill level, and I know and love the game. Team Banana Punch issued this challenge, and they’re about to find out that Karma is going to bite them right in the behind. TBP will end up right where they belong: as just another trashed banana peel on a Mario Kart track.”

But there’s a problem with the rest of our team. We have too many! We’ll have to juggle the lines a bit right up until the end, but for now, meet the rest of Press2Reset’s summoners:

Melissa “Lady Luck” Kay, THEquadskater

Melissa “Lady Luck” Kay, @THEquadskater

Why P2R will win: “Fortune doesn’t favour Team Banana Punch. P2R has set sail and I’m ready to help my team swab the deck with TBP faces.”

Aenne “Sharpshooter” Schumann, PeachyAenne

Aenne “Sharpshooter” Schumann, @PeachyAenne

Why P2R will win: “My Ashe is going to kick all of your Ashes.”

Anton “Puppetmaster” Wegenast, VirusSixZero

Anton “Puppetmaster” Wegenast, @VirusSixZero

Why P2R will win: “Team Banana Punch will be dancing to a different tune when they realize they are mere puppets. They will dance a hangman’s jig, or walk the plank!”

Marc “Overlord” Lynch, Sharodan

Marc “Overlord” Lynch, @MarcOnP2R

Why P2R will win: ”Team Banana Punch doesn’t stand a chance because Marco goes where he pleases (including straight through his opponents)!”

Sean “Banana Peeler” Knight

Sean “Banana Peeler” Knight, @SeanDKnight

Why P2R will win: “Should I find myself in the arena, then such above is the fate awaiting all those who call themselves Banana!”

——

Be sure to join us this weekend to cheer us on!

Don’t Starve joins the ranks of Valve titles in the beta

Valve has unveiled a beta program for Steam Trading Cards, a program that will allow players the ability to earn, trade, and cash-in cards for rewards.

The developer has revealed that players will earn game-specific trading cards, which can then be turned in for rewards like game badges, profile backgrounds, emoticons, and coupons through the new trading card program. To obtain the game-specific cards, up to half will be available from playing its corresponding game, and the other half can be earned through collecting

Also, players who craft their cards into game badges, which appear on user profiles, can level up their badges by collecting the set of cards again.

Games supporting the Steam Trading Cards at its beta launch include Don’t Starve, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Team Fortress 2, Portal 2 and Half-Life 2. Valve has also confirmed more game cards will be added over the coming months. To begin collecting Steam Trading Cards can sign up for the beta in the Steam Trading Cards Group.

Follow Randy on Twitter: @RandyOnP2R

Nintendo has begun placing copyright claims on various Let’s Play videos of its games that also carry adverts.

Outlined on Game Front, YouTube Let’s Player Zack Scott revealed that Nintendo had made content ID matches on many of his videos, resulting in the profits from commercials played before the videos going to Nintendo rather than himself.

Scott issued a response on his Facebook page, outlining his frustration at Nintendo’s action, saying, “I think filing claims against LPers is backwards. Video games aren’t like movies or TV. Each play-through is a unique audiovisual experience. When I see a film that someone else is also watching, I don’t need to see it again. When I see a game that someone else is playing, I want to play that game for myself! Sure, there may be some people who watch games rather than play them, but are those people even gamers?”

Nintendo responded with a statement. The manufacturer explained that since it became a YouTube partner, it has registered content in the site’s database, resulting in ads played before videos containing Nintendo-owned content of a certain length. It explained that it has no interest in taking down the fan videos, adding, “We continually want our fans to enjoy sharing Nintendo content on YouTube, and that is why, unlike other entertainment companies, we have chosen not to block people using our intellectual property.”

Follow James on Twitter: @Keltar93

Small offices, unreliable power and intermittent heating – a day in the life of 4A Games

4A Games‘s work in adverse circumstances on Metro: Last Light hasn’t being duly recognized, former THQ president Jason Rubin wrote in an article on Games Industry International.

Rubin talked about the Metro: Last Light developer’s working conditions and lauded the Ukraine-based team for their great efforts in the face of budget restrictions, space constraints, and general difficulties of being located in the former Soviet republic.

Being based in Eastern Europe, 4A does not always have access to the same amenities that North American and Western European developers take for granted. Space is a premium, with employees working on folding wedding chairs because office chairs and larger desks would require more room than was available. Budgets are also much smaller, with Rubin describing 4A’s development capital as “a mere 10 percent of the budget of its biggest competitors.”

Then there were the infrastructure setbacks. 4A is subject to power-outages with surprising frequency, and Rubin said that employees have been known to “bring in construction generators to be able to work the weekend before final submission because an extra day meant missing shelf dates by weeks.” That doesn’t factor in 4A’s unreliable heating systems, which “breaks down reliably a few times a year for a week at a time,” forcing programmers and engineers to don heavy jackets and gloves in order to keep warm.

Rubin even joked at one point that 4A has received far too much credit for its ability to evoke a “frightening, dark, post apocalyptic environment” in the Metro series, when clearly “they just stepped outside for reference.”

The article generated strong responses from other developers, including 4A creative director Andrew Prokhorov, who thanked Rubin for his article. Prokhorov agreed that conditions are far from ideal, but said that the team don’t want to make their conditions a focal point, saying, “We don’t want to be all dramatic about that – after all, better conditions are earned, and we strive to do this as soon as possible.”

Prokhorov also said that 4A shouldn’t necessarily receive high marks on Metacritic because of its development struggles, saying, “We deserve the ratings we get. After all, the final consumer doesn’t care about our conditions. And this is RIGHT. We need no indulgence.”

Follow Andrew on Twitter: @iamaparade

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata address the fans

David Kilborn: In recent weeks, there has been much discussion about Nintendo’s decision to forgo E3 this year and instead focus on hosting its own, closed door discussion with select press to reveal new projects and demos of upcoming titles. While many believe this to be a way of cutting losses and avoiding competing with rival companies Microsoft and Sony, I think it is actually indicative of a trend in Nintendo’s marketing for more direct advertising and information delivery. But does it work? Have you ever watched a Nintendo Direct conference?

James Gardiner: I have watched a few Nintendo Direct conferences, and in some ways I really like the approach they take. As their name aptly states, they provide a more immediate way of communicating with their core user base. This works well for smaller announcements like system updates, DLC, and the re-release of forgotten titles like Earthbound, as they’ve been mostly used so far.

At the same time, the more fan-centric nature of the conferences is also their main weakness: they don’t properly engage anyone who isn’t already committed to Nintendo. While things like E3 might be a bit overblown with pomp and circumstance, they offer the kind of wide audience appeal Nintendo really needs right now to help the Wii U.

David: Oh, I couldn’t agree more. The biggest problem with Nintendo’s model is that it speaks to more mature fans (those who remember Earthbound, for example) who already own the current consoles, as the easiest way to view these announcements is from your 3DS or Wii U. But from the marketing point of view, this method loses the millions of gamers who would love to enjoy the experiences Nintendo is offering, if only they knew. In particular when discussing the re-release of Earthbound or the upcoming Link to the Past sequel, I was surprised at how many friends had not heard of this at all; some of them swore to buy a 3DS immediately to play Link to the Past again. E3 might not be the best venue for Nintendo’s current audience, but only selling to your existing customers and relying on word of mouth is very risky in today’s market.

In regards to word of mouth, I also wonder if Sony is not trying a similar tactic. In the Fall, they laid off much of their public relations department and, as a result, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale was the only holiday release game I was aware of without actively researching on my own. The sad thing was, I was really looking forward to the Harry Potter Wonderbook: Book of Spells! I doubt even five copies were sold at our local game store.

Sony’s Harry Potter Wonderbook suffered for lack of exposure

James: That wouldn’t surprise me. Sony’s handling of its big releases is bizarre in how little marketing they put out sometimes. The new Sly Cooper was a great example of this; it’s a fairly well-known franchise with a decent fanbase, but not one large enough to do big numbers on word of mouth alone. While I tend to doubt it had as large a budget to pay off compared to an Uncharted or Killzone title for instance, that’s not the kind of risk the publisher should be taking given the parent company’s rocky financial state.

That said, Sony’s PlayStation 4 event seems to combine some of the sensibilities of a Nintendo Direct and an E3 conference. It had the amount of showiness that E3 conferences have, but since it was revealed at its own event it was able to stand apart as PlayStation-centric. Plus, unlike Nintendo Directs, the PS4 reveal saw decent coverage from non-gaming press as well as the dedicated core.

David: In my mind, Sony needs that kind of press in order to get the hype it needs for a new console release. The PS4 reveal felt very premature to me and offered several ideas of what the console might do without many promises (such as, playing games while they are still downloading, streaming older PS games, and interaction with tablets and smartphones were all discussed with no indication they will be be features available any time in the near future). Heck, Sony didn’t even show the PS4 itself. However, by having gaming and non-gaming press cover the event, it reached a larger audience and started people talking. In the end, isn’t that what these conferences are all about?

I love getting hyped up for a big release, but in the end, when I want to research a game or console, I read reviews, not reveals. E3 is a hype machine and I think more and more people are realizing this fact and looking for more substantial information before making big purchases or pre-orders. It is hardly a coincidence that Nintendo is leaving E3 and both Sony and Microsoft are having side conferences beyond the traditional stage show. Gamers need more convincing than ever before to gamble on something new when there are so many established franchises and cheap/easy buys on existing platforms to distract us. How do you think companies can balance hype, publicity, and information in a way to reach the most people and grow their fanbase?

Is abandoning big-format events a rash decision by Nintendo?

James: I’d say the ideal way to market a game for maximum effectiveness is a mix of various techniques. For an initial announcement, engaging your core fanbase directly with something like a Nintendo Direct is a great way to begin gaining interest, holding something in the vein of an E3 or Sony’s conference will help to gain real press coverage, and launching a full ad campaign will expand the public awareness of a game to a large enough degree to bring in sufficient sales. Axing key marketing methods the ways Nintendo and Sony have done might have been out of a desire to aggressively target their core fanbase, but that comes at the cost of the kind of large-scale consumer awareness the current AAA model needs.

David: I think that in the case of Nintendo, we need to see more centralized and specifically-targeted information distribution. Press releases, interviews, and non-Nintendo Direct/Iwata Asks presentations will help get information to the core gamers while commercial advertising and maybe parent-oriented articles and videos on their social media pages will help bring back that massive audience that the Wii gained, who currently think the Wii U is just some kind of add-on screen-controller-thing.

As for Sony, I think almost the opposite is true. More concise presentations to general audiences will help convince reluctant buyers to upgrade to a PS Vita or PS4. E3 is a good venue for them, but it has to be a start and not the main front of its advertising campaign.

This next year will really test the public relations and marketing aspects of video game companies. Changes in the economical environment and technological innovation will push developers to find whole new ways of marketing and expanding our gaming world. From the consumer standpoint, this is going to be a very exciting year.

Follow David on Twitter: @DavidInRealTime

Follow James on Twitter: @keltar93

Could 1313 yet be resurrected by EA?

Electronic Arts has confirmed it is opening a new studio in Los Angeles that will be focused on developing Star Wars games, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

The new studio, a branch of Battlefield 3 developer DICE, is expected to be a major part in the development of a new series of Star Wars games now that EA has acquired exclusive rights to the license from owner Disney.

General manager Karl-Magnus Troedsson said, “There is an extreme talent pool over there that we want a part of. It’s no secret that our main competitor [Infinity Ward and Treyarch] is there.”

Despite EA’s recent lay-offs, which saw 900 employees depart, there are plans to add 60 staffers to the studio by the end of 2013. Troedsson added, “People stood up and cheered when I announced that we were working on Star Wars.”

He continued, “For me, it’s a boy’s dream come to life. I’ve grown up with Star Wars.”

No details were given on what kind of game the new studio would be working on except that the team were considering either a title based on older games or an entirely new IP.

Follow Sean on Twitter: @SeanDKnight

Remember that series that started 30 years ago with generals and heroes, and taught you about Japanese history? No? Okay, Nobunaga’s Ambition may not be a title familiar to many but Japanese gamers are nevertheless about to receive a 30th anniversary release. Indeed, Western gamers’ unfamiliarity with the series is hardly their fault as many of the titles have never seen release outside Japan.

Series creator Kou Shibusawa told Famitsu (via Polygon) talked about his time working on the game. Kou said, “When we were looking to get into games, I wanted something that would make you think while you enjoyed it. I was already over 30 years old at the time, so I wanted something with a lot of strategy and tactics instead of a game that just tested your hand-eye coordination. I went with a Nobunaga theme because it was one of the most fluid and dynamic periods in Japanese history, filled with heroes and generals to play as.”

Koei are set to celebrate the franchise’s 30 anniversary with the 14th entry in the series, Nobunaga no Yabou: Souzou, which is scheduled for a Japanese-only release and is coming to PC and PS3 this year.

Follow Aaron on Twitter: @Acidbrn

EA is calling it quits with its online pass system, according to a report from VentureBeat.

In an email to the site, EA senior director of corporate communications John Reseburg said, “Yes, we’re discontinuing Online Pass. None of our new EA titles will include that feature.” The exchange did not specify when the transition away from online passes will take place, though Reseburg’s tone suggests it will be sooner than later.

First introduced as a measure to discourage used game sales, online passes were one-use codes shipped with new copies of games, and would typically grant access to gameplay modes, such as multiplayer, that had been sectioned off. The online pass system first appeared in EA’s line of sports games before branching out to other franchises like Battlefield and Mass Effect.

Backward pass?

But what has prompted the publisher to abandon the concept? Reseburg said that online passes were “initially launched as an effort to package a full menu of online content and services, [but] many players didn’t respond to the format. We’ve listened to the feedback and decided to do away with it moving forward. We’re still committed to creating content and services that enhance the game experience well beyond the day you first start playing.”

Reseburg’s reason for ditching online passes makes sense, given that the initiative’s less than stellar reputation among many gamers in various corners of the internet, but sounds murky from a business perspective. EA’s then-chief financial officer Eric Brown told Gamasutra in 2011 that online passes had made between $10m-$15m since their introduction in 2010. That sort of money is nothing to sneeze at, even for a multinational company like EA, which begs the question of what will take its place.

The answer could very well be microtransactions, if current EA chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen‘s recent remarks are any indication. Speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media, and Telecom Conference, Jorgensen told attendees that EA is building microtransactions into all of its game going forward, saying that microtransactions are “the next and much bigger piece [of the business].” Recent EA games like Dead Space 3 have augmented their designs to accommodate for microtransactions, not to mention games that already support microtransactions, such as Fifa and Madden‘s Ultimate Team modes.

EA’s sports titles have used both Online Passes and microtransactions

Though EA has not released any specific numbers regarding microtransactions in its single-player games, it’s not hard to see why EA would want to harness them ahead of online passes. Online passes, while a reasonable incentive to purchase a new game over a used one, are good for one transaction, usually one that occurs during the game’s launch window. Again, EA has not released any figures on the sell-through longevity of online passes, but there’s a good chance they would be frontloaded toward the game’s initial release.

Microtransactions, on the other hand, happen as many times as the consumer wants, creating a potentially long tail for incoming revenue. Even used games can still benefit EA – as long as players keep buying Madden Legendary Bundles for 1600 Microsoft Points a pop, who cares how they got the game in the first place?

The move is reminiscent of how MMOs have transitioned to free-to-play over the years. Early on, f2p games like Hellgate London reserved content and privileges specifically for paying members, often to the detriment of free players. Since then, the paradigm has shifted away to a more open model – every f2p MMO interview is filled with designers crowing about how their entire game can be played for free – with convenience and cosmetic items responsible for bringing in revenue.

MMO Hellgate: London locked away content for subscribers

The same shift appears to be happening at EA. Before, online passes restricted players who couldn’t purchase a new or used copy, similar to how MMOs would single-out free players in favor of paid subscribers. Now, EA is letting new and used players have access to all of their main content, with microtransactions potentially enhancing the experience in ways that are helpful, but not ultimately necessary.

Moving away from online passes could also be a positive PR move for EA, in addition to being a smart business one. Having won the distinction of Worst Company in America from Consumerist magazine two years in a row, EA could use some positive press. Saying that EA is ditching online passes because people don’t like them is likely a simplified and incomplete reason, but the fact is that many gamers don’t like online passes, and the feint away from them could help improve the narrative towards EA.

Time will tell if EA is swapping one alternate form of revenue for another, or if it is ditching a bad system to try to improve its company image. What is for certain is that the online pass system is dead, and players can finally, finally put about their Xbox 360 Chatpads.

Follow Andrew on Twitter: @iamaparade

LoL on Xbox? It’s now (kind of) possible.

The video game-centric streaming service Twitch TV has just announced that their dashboard application for 360 is now available. The company announced via their blog that the app is available to Xbox Live Gold subscribers in the US.

The top 300 channels will be available for live streaming onto your console, as Twitch announced. The streams can be browsed by popularity and game. The application is also controllable via 360′s Kinect device, using both motion and voice controls.

When pressed for justification of the 300 stream limit, and how it works, Twitch’s director of partnerships Justin Wong replied, explaining that the 300 are dictated by simultaneous viewers.

The director added that popularity fluctuates, saying, “The cut-off for Top 300 channels was ~40 concurrent viewers when I checked at peak time today (May 15), so while this restriction does limit the number of broadcasters available on other platforms, it covers the vast majority of the concurrent viewership. To be clear, ‘Top 300′ is the top 300 channels that are currently live, not a static list of top channels.”

When asked why the app is US-only, Wong explained briefly, “The Microsoft approval process is different for other regions. They oftentimes do not move at the same speed.” Wong did not explicitly state that other regions would get the Twitch app, however.

Follow Anton on Twitter: @virussixzero