"Don't make a mobile eSports title" says Twitch

As part of Pocket Gamer Connects London 2017, Ryan Chaply, Esports Program Manager at Twitch, gave a talk on how Twitch approaches the growth of a mobile eSport.

Chaply began by saying "don't make a mobile eSports title" – instead, developers should focus on making a good game, and think about how competitive play will work within the game.

He also recommended listening to players in the alpha and beta stages, and following competitive players and their behaviour, so you can learn directly from the players themselves how the game should play and grow.

Developers looking to turn their game into an eSport should also consider what the actual goal of this is, and ask themselves what the narrative behind the game is and why players should care.

Chaply then moved on to scaling the game into an eSport, saying you should start with light eSport integration and minimal rewards so as not to go too strong too early and instead help nurture the community with the help of the players.

On the topic of measuring success, he said that "at Twitch, we're focusing on the broadcasting KPIs", particularly unique viewers, live attendance, the amount of talent entering the game, and the studio's own financial stability.

In terms of how mobile eSports will actually grow, Chaply said that "we don't know how the generation who grew up on mobile devices will adapt", so it's currently unclear just how big the market could be or if there'll be a real market after all.