A former YouTube executive is criticizing Twitch for copying streaming features. The former YouTube head points out that Twitch introduced a new feature that was already offered by YouTube, and Twitch’s CMO responds in a delightful way. The back-and-forth features both criticism and playful digs, and it’s always great to see company leadership being down-to-earth.
Twitch's Hype Chat
The original back-and-forth came after Twitch introduced its new Hype Chat feature, which allows streamers to engage with their audience in real-time through a chat overlay on their streams.
“Twitch just took what YouTube did years ago and integrated it into Twitch,” the former YouTube executive says. “This is something YouTube has had for years.” Twitch’s former chief product officer responds by acknowledging that Hype Chat is “similar” to a Twitch feature called Trivial Trivia, but he argues that Twitch has evolved it in a different direction.
“I saw something very similar to Twitch’s current feature nearly eight years ago when I was with YouTube,” the former YouTube employee then says. “And I saw exactly the same look from Twitch today that I had from YouTube in 2009. Exactly the same.”
Twitch’s CMO Mike Minton responds to this by diving into a playful history of how companies in the streaming industry learn from and borrow ideas from one another. He also playfully reminds everyone that competition generally benefits creators and viewers alike by encouraging companies to offer the most innovative features.
“Competition is good, and without it, we all lose,” Minton says. “It’s well documented that in this world of technology, EVERYTHING gets copied, copied, copied, and copied. After 25 years in the industry, I have never seen anything invented by one company that was not duplicated, improved upon, or completely redone by companies looking to take away market share.”
Minton goes on to talk about how Twitch is always innovating and introducing new features to enhance the streaming experience. “That’s our mandate and our mission,” he says. “We never want creators to stop innovating, so we ensure they have the tools to ensure their channels are differentiated from the alternatives out there.”
The Hype Chat feature has been well-received by the Twitch community, and many streamers have posted videos taking advantage of its features. Minton says it’s exciting for the future of Twitch, and he also jokes about how excited he is to watch how more streamers experiment with Hype Chat.
The exchange highlights Twitch’s strong confidence in how it sets itself apart from other streaming platforms, even as companies like YouTube try to chomp away at its audience. It also serves as a lighthearted reminder that platforms, developers, and companies in the tech industry have a long history of learning from and borrowing ideas from one another. After all, nothing is completely original in a world where even cavemen have to have a common ancestor.
Take a look at the entire back-and-forth between the Twitch and YouTube executives in the screenshots below:
