Microsoft closes Mixer permanently. Despite having invested effort, time and money – a lot of money – with such notable signings as Ninja’s, the company has decided that it was time to abandon a ship that seemed to be taking them nowhere. What really happened? Why this decision now?
Goodbye Mixer, what happened?
Microsoft bought Beam in 2016 , a platform for the broadcasting of video games with which they sought to compete with proposals such as Twitch, YouTube Games and the occasional similar service. It was a complicated challenge, but considering the integration they could offer both on Windows and on their Xbox consoles, it didn’t seem like a bad idea. So there they went.
Shortly after being compared, a redesign was made and the name was changed to Mixer. Since then and until now, Microsoft has invested time and money. One of the most striking movements was the signing of Ninja, one of the most popular streamers. This signed exclusively with the Microsoft service to leave Twitch and retransmit only within the platform.
The idea was good, to bring a popular streamer with a great ability to call so that thousands of users follow him, get to know your service and expect them to be watching other content or directly using it to create their own. Of course, theory is one thing and practice another. In the end, neither that signing nor others that were made later came to fruition as expected.
Mixer did not manage to grow its user base and compared to other alternatives it was still not very attractive. Therefore, instead of wasting more time or spending more money without the assurance that it would work, on July 22, Mixer will close permanently. Although there is something you are interested in knowing.
The closure will not be to shut down servers and voila, there will be an option for all Mixer users: make the jump to Facebook Games. Microsoft and Facebook have reached an agreement whereby users will be able to jump on Marc Zuckerberg’s new platform, even keeping its benefits or being rewarded in some way.
That is, if you monetized in Mixer you can continue to do so in Facebook Games thanks to the Level Up program. If you had other benefits, you will be given an Xbox card. Although none of this guarantees that he will really make the jump to Facebook Games instead of returning to Twitch.
The goal is xCloud
Anyway, in addition to not having managed to grow as expected, it seems that the closure of Mixer is also related to a decision of priorities. Facebook has a very large user base and an agreement like this could significantly benefit the new and great challenge that awaits Microsoft in the coming months: xCloud.
In addition to all the Mixer technology and its low-latency content delivery, which would also take advantage of Microsoft Teams and xCloud itself, Microsoft is clear that integrations with Facebook Games could be very interesting. For example, having quick access to a button that allows you to play the same game that you are watching live.
Therefore, it is true that the closure of Mixer is a losing battle for Microsoft, which has not been able to stand up to Twitch or YouTube Games, but if you look at it from the point of view of what could be more beneficial in the future it seems what better to give Mixer now and focus on xCloud.