Twitch has announced the launch of Stream First, a program aimed at guiding developers through the process of building games with the livestreaming experience in mind, both for broadcasters and for viewers.

On the Stream First website, Twitch explains that the program’s purpose is to create games “designed around the relationship broadcasters have with their viewers.”

“In the last few years, we have seen a great deal of creativity in online interaction methods from the Twitch community, including Twitch Plays games, channel loyalty currencies, and subscriber tournaments, among many others,” Brooke Van Dusen, Director of Game Developer Success at Twitch, said in a statement.

“However, these systems have always been external to the games broadcasters are playing. Stream First games by nature embrace these developments, incorporate features inspired by these creative concepts of Twitch community interaction, and bring about an entirely new genre of video games.”

Developers interested in participating in Twitch’s Stream First program can register online.

Why care about livestreaming?

Of course, the big question some people might ask about Twitch’s new program is “Why?” Is it really a big deal to think about streamers and Let’s Players when designing a game?

For big-name AAA titles that are going to sell well no matter what, the answer may be a little less clear, but for small to mid-level game developers, appealing to the livestream community is incredibly important.

Just look at indie boxing tycoon game Punch Club, which enjoyed an incredibly successful launch thanks to its “Twitch Plays Punch Club” event (pictured above).

“Regardless of whether you like watching game livestreams, Twitch is by far the largest influencer of which indie games the general populace is playing — even more so than YouTube,” Punch Club developer Mike Rose said in a post mortem for the game.

As a result of the success of Twitch Plays Punch Club, the game reached over $1 million in sales within a few weeks of its launch, an incredible feat for an indie game from a relatively unknown developer.

Screenshot via TwitchPlaysPunchClub | Twitch.tv