Microsoft's Mixer streaming platform has a lot of incredible features that could really benefit esports, if any one would bother using them. While tournaments often stream simultaneously between Mixer and Twitch, the Twitch audience is so much larger that seldom do organizers take the time to implement Mixer's impressive suite of features.

Now that Ninja has permanently moved over to Mixer, it's a great time to explore what Mixer has to offer. It should be expected that a lot of Ninja's audience will follow him to Mixer and as more people discover the platform, the potential to build an esports audience there should not be overlooked.

Faster Than Light Protocol Brings Fans Together

Microsoft has developed a streaming protocol called Faster Than Light, or FTL for short, that allows streams to be viewed with sub-second latency. This means that viewers are able watch streams with virtually zero delay. Mixer has a group of features referred to collectively as Mixplay that capitalizes on their ultra-low latency by letting viewers interact with streams directly through controller sharing and game integration.

FTL has huge potential for esports as well, as the audience are not only watching the games together, but they're watching them happen in real time. Now, those big hype plays that get the crowd up on their feet can happen online with the tens of thousands watching at home because they are all watching these moments as they are happening without delay.

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Twitch can't do that, and if you've ever tried to watch a tournament on Twitch with your friends, you'll discover that you all have a different delay based on what server everyone is connected to. It's a disconnecting experience between a few friends, let alone a stream being watch by thousands who are all seeing things happen at slightly different times.

Imagine the virtual arenas that could be constructed now that streams are displayed in real time. On Twitch, the best you'll get is the chat suddenly going faster as everyone keys in their excitement. Mixer, on the other hand, has interactive skills that viewers can use to engage with each other in those hype, celebratory moments. Imagine the entire chat doing the wave, bouncing a beach ball, or showing up on new-age version of the kiss cam in between matches. Microsoft is already thinking along these lines, and esports organizers should be too.

Co-Stream Is The NFL Sunday Ticket For Esports

Co-Stream is a user-forward feature that Microsoft has created to allow multiple streams to be viewed simultaneously. Viewers can mute or listen to whichever stream they like, as well as rearrange the different streams on their screen, bringing one forward and keeping the others off to the side, and switching between them as they please.

For esports, this is like the ultimate Sunday Ticket, and small tournament organizers should be using this feature for every game they put on. Currently, Mixer only supports 4 simultaneous streams, but the foundation is there to grow that number to encompass an entire tournament.

Organizers could set up the traditional broadcast while co-streaming all of the players on their own stream, then viewers could listen to the commentary while switching freely between which ever player they want to watch. I can't imagine a better or more interactive system for watching competitive gaming and Mixer already has it ready to go if any one would just use it (and of course, watch it). Twitch actually has a similar feature called Squad Mode that was added as a feature only for partners. Mixplay, however, doesn't restrict co-streaming to certain streams; any one can use it.

HypeZone Could Be The A.I. Broadcaster For Every Small Tournament

HypeZone is a type of channel exclusive to Mixer than uses A.I. to scan all the streamers playing a particular game and cut to whoever is in the action and closest to a win. Currently, HypeZone supports FortnitePUBG, Apex Legends, Rainbow Six Seige, and Black Ops 4. Viewers simply tune into the HypeZone channel for their favorite game and the algorithm does the rest, jumping from stream to stream to show only the hypest moments.

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HypeZone is a great tool for introducing viewers to new streamers. Anyone can be featured on HypeZone provided they're winning at their game and each time they're featured on the channel they'll get a huge boost of viewers, some of which have definitely never seen the streamer before and might find that they really like the stream. It's an especially cool feature that has a ton of potential.

HypeZone tech can and definitely should be used for by tournament organizers to lighten the load of indie esports hosting. Organizing Tournament takes a tons of time and manpower to pull off, and HypeZone has the potential to act as an A.I. broadcaster, automatically cutting to the next big moment and allowing the commentators to always stay in the action. HypeZone can be a powerful tool to help people organize their own tournaments and give more players and organizers the opportunity to get a foot in the door of competitive gaming. Its a win-win-win-win for players, viewers, organizers, and Microsoft.

This Can All Be Ours If We Let Mixer Into Our Lives

Change is hard, but the reality is that no one is watching Mixer because no one is watching Mixer. The platform is solid, and though it is missing some important features still, like the ability for viewers to clip streams, it already seems to have the right mind set and priorities to become the next big esports platform.

Some esports organizations, like the Overwatch League, have exclusive streaming deals with Twitch, and it will take a mass audience exodus to get that to change. But for smaller tournaments, Mixer offers so much more than Twitch. Hopefully people are ready to try something new, because Mixer has a lot going for it.

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