It's been two years since the e-commerce behemoth Amazon purchased the game streaming service Twitch. It was only a matter of time before the two platforms found a way to work together. That time has now come. Today the two companies officially launched Twitch Prime, a new aspect of Amazon's existing Prime service specifically for the Twitch community. The new service integrates many of the features of Twitch's existing Turbo service, but will not cost any more to those who already subscribe to Amazon Prime.
TwitchCon has practically just begun and already it's been a big show for the parent company, Amazon. Last night Amazon Games Studio officially unveiled Breakaway, their first title, which included several features that were designed from the ground up for use on Twitch. Now, Amazon themselves are ready to also integrate Twitch. Twitch Prime is now available to anybody who already subscribes to Amazon Prime, by going online and linking the two accounts together, Amazon Prime members will gain access to all the benefits of Twitch Prime. This will include free games and game add-ons which will change monthly, as well as in-box game discounts when ordering video games from Amazon, either during a title's pre-order period or up to two weeks after launch.
Finally, Twitch Prime users will also have the ability to subscribe to one Twitch channel free of charge every month. While the subscription is free to the viewer, the streamer will still get paid as if it were a normal subscription, so viewers will be able to support their favorite broadcasters. Subscribers usually get access to a dedicated chat room as well as other potential perks. The Twitch service will also be ad-free to Twitch Prime subscribers.
This is pretty much the same lineup that members of Twitch Turbo now get, and then some. This means that if you happen to be a subscriber to both Turbo and Amazon Prime, you just saved yourself $9 a month because you can go ahead and cancel Turbo. The Twitch Prime FAQ specifically recommends you do this. Turbo is not being entirely replaced, at least not yet, so if you don't already subscribe to Prime, you can still keep Turbo to get your benefits that way, although, we'd hardly be surprised if Turbo gets phased out over the next year or so. Amazon is on a perpetual quest to get the entire planet signed up for Prime, the recurring revenue is a major boost to their bottom line.
The first batch of loot includes a free copy of indie game Streamline, and new Hearthstone character, Tyrande Whisperwind which can both be redeemed until early November. There is also some additional gear for those who get signed up before the end of TwitchCon, including SMITE skin Boss Ymir and the Bomb King Weapon Skin for Paladins. A 30-day free trial is available for those who want to give the service a look without committing.
If you're an existing Amazon Prime member who's also a gamer, it seems like a no-brainer. It's extra game stuff and nice discounts for no additional cost. All it does is add value to your existing Prime subscription.
If you're an existing Prime or Turbo member, what do you think of the new benefits? If you're not, will this have you looking at Amazon Prime a little closer? Let us know in the comments below.
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