Twitch to start selling games through streams this spring

Streaming giant Twitch will soon become a video game retailer, with the company unveiling plans to enable the sale of games and other in-game content later this Spring. 

Twitch says the new program will "empower" publishers and devs, and has already attracted the interest of dozens of big names including Ubisoft, Hi-Rez Studios, and Telltale Games.

In terms of the financial benefits, developers will be given a 70 percent cut of sales revenue whenever their game is sold via a stream, while partnered streamers will also receive 5 percent slice if a sale is made through their page. 

Buying a game will be as simple as hitting a purple 'buy now' button located just below the main streaming window. 

After making their purchase, consumers will then be able to download titles through the Twitch desktop app or existing publisher-operated services like U-play. 

This isn't the first time Twitch has allowed developers to sell games on its platform, as back in 2014 indie outfit Vlambeer used the Twitch Connect functionality to sell Nuclear Throne to channel subscribers. 

It is, however, the first time Twitch has attempted to start its own bona fide sales initiative, and marks a notable change in direction for the popular platform.