Streaming platform Twitch has extended their reach by a large margin today. The juggernaut presence has announced their acquisition of Curse, Inc.
Curse is a company which hosts several popular gaming websites and information databases. This includes news sites, gaming wikis, walkthroughs, and a variety of other sites. Twitch acquiring them, then, shows a doubling down on their gaming focus.
“We’ve long been fans of what they’ve been doing and we know a lot of you have been too,” Evan Freitas writes in a Twitch Blog post. “As discussions with Curse progressed, we have gotten to know their exceptional team who shares our passion for gaming and are equally committed to supporting communities with an enriched, and more enjoyable experience. This acquisition will help provide gamers with the tools and resources they need to achieve the ultimate gaming experience, a mission shared by both Twitch and Curse. Together Curse and Twitch will help gamers connect, interact, and share information with one another.”
The specifics of what this entails are still unclear. Will business continue as usual for Curse’s sites? Does Twitch have unbridled access to user-generated content? Will Curse sites now plug Twitch to no end? We’re not entirely sure yet.
Still, this is major news for Twitch. This is a streaming platform that’s home to a diverse range of content. By acquiring a gaming-focused network, they’re getting their hands on gaming journalism and fan-generated information. It represents a concentrated effort to remain a key figure in the gaming community.
Personally, I think this is an interesting move on Twitch’s end. A streaming platform getting their mitts on game journalism hubs is interesting. The goal of being a seamless blend of community interaction and information is pretty noble. It will be interesting to see how it pans out in the long term.
