Microsoft introduces in-game rewards for watching Mixer

Mixer has rolled out a new feature that will allow Mixer viewers to earn in-game rewards by watching streams that feature currently promoted games. This new feature has been appropriately named “Mixer Loot.”

According to a post on Mixer’s blog, “Mixer Loot is powered by the same technology enabling Mixer HypeZone to detect fun and interesting events in the stream.” It requires streamers to ensure that they’re displaying “important information from the game” on the screen. This key information could be score, players left in a given match, or time remaining in a given round.

For its inaugural promotion, Mixer is highlighting Sea of Thieves, starting on April 30 at 8am PT and running until May 5. The “Obsidian Pack” includes five in-game items to celebrate Sea of Thieves’one-year anniversary. Mixer partners, streamers, and viewers are eligible for this round of Mixer Loot as everything is uniquely tied to accounts and may only be earned/redeemed once.

Mixer Loot joins a number of other Mixer Season Two updates, including platform currency called Embers, Sparks (which are earned through watching a stream), and Skills, which are earned through spending Embers during a streamer’s show. Sparks are another way for the community to monetarily support streamers without having to spend a lot (or any) real world currency. Embers allow users to purchase “high value Skills,” including animated stickers and full-screen effects.

Offering in-game items and discounts isn’t new. Amazon, which owns Twitch, has Amazon Game Tech and Amazon Games, but users have to pay for Twitch Prime in order to receive any benefits at all. On Mixer, all you need is an account and to watch a stream that is supporting the current promotion.

Microsoft’s dedication to Xbox as a service, rather than Xbox as a hardware platform, continues to shine through. There’s a broader opportunity for Microsoft to continue to intermingle its various services, especially as Microsoft is both publisher and platform-holder. Rare’s Sea of Thieves is a first-party game, so its in-game offers are much more interesting (and attractive) than Smite and Paladins’ “virtual currency bundle.” By interconnecting Microsoft’s first-party games with Mixer’s evolving features and growing community, Xbox has the opportunity to get more eyeballs on upcoming titles from the plethora of studios Microsoft has purchased since E3 2018.

And as we move closer to the war for attention, rather than the console wars, attention is the one of the most powerful currencies worth pursuing.