Twitter has launched a dedicated gaming hub in an effort to attract more gamers to its platform.
Although the official account has only sent out 36 tweets thus far, it is envisioned as a place where users can discover and join conversations about gaming, as curated by Twitter.
Already the welcoming GIFs are pouring in from developers and game studios, an indication that major players are on board with the move. Check out a selection of the tweets, featuring your favorite characters from popular games such as Mass Effect, Borderlands, and Assassin’s Creed joining the Twitter Gaming party, below.
https://twitter.com/electronicarts/status/687613421731315712
.@TwitterGaming pic.twitter.com/tiC6RIl3rK
— 2K (@2K) January 13, 2016
.@Rainbow6Game @TwitterGaming Did someone say party? pic.twitter.com/Y0aMzIudyn
— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) January 14, 2016
“Whether folks are discovering a new game, tweeting at a gaming personality, keeping up with gaming news, or following their favorite eSport, we want to make it easy for gaming fans to find and join the most vibrant conversations about games,” Twitter said in a statement.
Although Twitter is already home to thousands of gamers who tweet gaming-related content on a daily basis, it has lost the battle for hearts and minds to streaming sites with social functionality, such as Twitch and YouTube.
Twitter Gaming marks a step in the right direction. Judging from Twitter’s statement, it will lead, and likely initiate, the gaming conversation on the platform, making it a must-follow for gamers that tweet. Yesterday, the fledgling profile began a hashtag-activated conversation regarding great gaming tweets – much like a spin on the popular throwback Thursdays (#TBT) hashtag.
Send us your favorite historic gaming tweets! Reply to this tweet or use the hashtag #GGTIH.
— Gaming (@XGaming) January 13, 2016
We won’t be surprised if future Twitter Gaming events include question and answer sessions with developers and studios, videos and clips from major events (ESL, the world’s largest eSports organization, has tweeted that it is “ready” to participate), and awards coverage.
The move comes on the heels of the announcement that Twitter has hired its first head of gaming. The role went to YouTube veteran Rodrigo Velloso, who previously stated that he would deliver the tools the gaming community needs to be a part of Twitter. Velloso’s Twitter account currently has a pinned tweet that states, “Twitter users are 72 percent more likely to talk gaming than the average Internet user.” Twitter Gaming is the platform’s recognition of that vocal proponent of its user base.
