Popular video streaming platform Twitch is continuing its expansion beyond gamers and their digital exploits, with the service launching a new content category named IRL.
IRL, which in internet jargon means "in real life," will allow streamers to expand their content beyond playing video games and into providing their audience with a glimpse of their everyday life away from consoles and computers.
Twitch Unveils IRL
Twitch announced IRL as a new content category through an official blog post, stating that while the platform is steeped in video game culture, Twitch is transforming into a social video platform for both gamers and non-gamers.
"While gaming is their core identity, what we've heard repeatedly from them is that they are interested in sharing their everyday lives, thoughts, and opinions with their communities," said Emmett Shear, the CEO of Twitch, in a statement.
Twitch compares IRL to vlogs, allowing streamers to interact with audiences in a one-to-many style to talk about their opinions, thoughts, and basically anything under the sun, even while not playing a video game. IRL content can either be recorded or live, with the FAQ that Twitch launched for IRL requiring streamers to actively interact with the audience when such content is being streamed.
Also in the FAQ, Twitch discussed the content that do not fit under the IRL category, which are content that the streamer does not have the right to broadcast such as TV shows and movies, videos featuring more than one person or those taken from the social media profiles of other people without their consent, unattended content, videos taken on moving vehicles while the streamer is operating video equipment, content that already has existing categories and educational videos.
Twitch To Launch Mobile Broadcasting
In addition to IRL, Twitch also announced that it will be activating streaming capabilities from the Twitch mobile app next year. Through the feature, streamers will be able to broadcast even while away from their computers and consoles, with content shot through mobile broadcasting automatically defaulting under the IRL category.
Twitch Continues Expansion Beyond Video Games
The launch of IRL as a new content category is not the first move that Twitch made to expand its platform, which is best known for allowing streamers to broadcast video game sessions.
Twitch last year launched Twitch Creative, a section that is inspired by how-to cosplay tutorials and provides viewers with creative videos over various art forms, including music, food, sculpting, and dance. The service also introduced a Friends List feature earlier in the year to improve the platform's social capabilities.
