Mixer Direct Purchase Rolling Out to Everyone In the Coming Months
Microsoft has announced the launch of Mixer Direct Purchase, a new service that allows viewers to purchase games and/or DLC directly from a stream they are watching. It is expected to roll out widely across the platform in the coming months.
Mixer Direct Purchase must be activated by the streamer to take advantage of its perks. The streamer will make a five percent cut of each purchase through the system. Streamers can also select which edition of game viewers can purchase or highlight a specific piece of downloadable content. They can also choose to feature free demos. Microsoft is hoping Direct Purchase will not only become a lucrative platform for streamers but also as a way to build successful communities.
“We consistently hear from gamers that what motivates new game purchases are streamers’ content and recommendations,” wrote Ben Favreau, Mixer’s Product Marketing Manager. “For many of us, watching a game stream is the best way to discover new games to enjoy or just to see what an older game is all about for the first time. Streamers often recommend games and DLC to their audiences, and we support rewarding them for purchases made based on their recommendation and gameplay. That’s the goal of Mixer Direct Purchase.”
Since Mixer is a Microsoft service, the Direct Purchase feature will only work with Xbox or Windows 10 games (sorry, Steam fans!). There are over 5000 items that can be featured using Direct Purchase. Viewers can purchase items with the click of a button without worrying about exiting the stream. Purchases will go automatically to the viewers’ Microsoft account for later download without first needing to register a code or ticket.
Twitch introduced something similar last year but it functions a little bit differently due to its partnership with publishers and developers. The list of games is limited, and as such, Ubisoft games, for example, must still be purchased through their own services like Uplay.
Direct Purchase will only be available to Mixer partners first before rolling out to everyone.