Mixer Is Up Until July, After Which It’s Shutting Down
Microsoft tried to make Mixer, its streaming service, relevant ever since it bought it in 2016 while the company was still being called Beam. The service struggled to find an audience during its first couple of years. Then, Microsoft started firing on all cylinders by signing notable streamers into exclusivity deals. Microsoft signed the first deal with Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, the most popular streamer at the time. Michael ‘Shroud’ Grzesiek and Cory ‘King Gothalion’ Michael followed. For a while, it seemed like Mixer would finally come close to Twitch and Facebook Gaming. But yesterday’s post on the official Mixer blog tells a different story. According to the blog post, Mixer is shutting down on July 22. After it shuts down all Mixer streamers will move to Facebook Gaming.
Mixer Shuts Down On July 22, Microsoft Shifts Focus Towards xCloud
The last day of Mixer streams is July 22. After which, all Mixer streamers will be able to move to Facebook Gaming. Mixer partners will retain their partner status after the shutdown. As for users of the service who have Pro subscriptions or who have bought Ember, they will receive Xbox gift cards as compensation. Finally, “Mixer Partners will receive double-payment for all of their earnings in the month of June.”
As for the big names, they will be able to join any streaming service they want after Mixer shuts down. The reasoning behind this decision is that Microsoft wants to focus on its video game streaming service, xCloud. Phil Spencer, head of Xbox division, explained in an interview with The Verge that the company wanted a large partner for its xCloud service, and Facebook Gaming was the best bet. Facebook received a ton of streamers and in the future, Microsoft will integrate xCloud into Facebook Gaming. “When we think about xCloud and the opportunity to unlock gameplay for 2 billion players, we know it’s going be critically important that our services find large audiences and Facebook clearly gives us that opportunity,” explained Spencer.
After Mixer shuts down Microsoft will work on launching xCloud for all users sometime during 2020. The company will bundle the service with the Xbox Game Pass subscription, which should increase its already tremendous value. At least Microsoft has much better chances of dominating video game streaming since its main competitor in the market is Google Stadia, which struggles with low player base, lackluster library of games, expensive pricing scheme, and lack of exclusives.
