As the summer begins, we are looking to revamp or refresh different aspects of our SMYN Network offerings.
This begins with our Twitch channel. We are entering year two livestreaming on Twitch and over at “The Dojo,” where SwordHunter and I live, we have invested in two high-level computers to broadcast all of our console and PC gameplay in 720p HD quality.
In order to stress-test our newer computer for last-gen game systems yesterday, we played some Project M. Below is the kind of visual quality you can expect from streams and highlights in the months to come.
Pretty impressive, right?
With an overall successful test (and still some slight tweaks to make), I would like to announce our new, full-blown streaming capabilities over at Show Me Your News’ Twitch channel, while giving you a preview of some stream layouts.
CONSOLE 16:9 (PS4/PS3, Xbox One/Xbox 360, Wii U/Wii)
The last-gen systems (PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii) will all be played upstairs in the streaming environment you are most familiar with. The current-gen systems will be played downstairs. We had to split them up like this due to electrical limitations, as well as a very noticeable projector lag for non-HDMI systems. The benefit of streaming on a Wii means that we also will have access to nearly every NES, SNES, Genesis, and Game Boy Color/Advance game as well, which expands our platforms that we can use for your entertainment. The above image shows our mock-up for this type of broadcast, which you will likely see most often, which includes placeholders for the game footage, webcam footage, and game logo. This is also the template used in the Project M video used above.
PC 16:9 (Steam)
Our computer that is set up with our projector downstairs is much stronger on the graphics card front, so it will handle games from our Steam library. The layout is very similar to the Console 16:9 design, but with a different background.
PC 4:3 (N64, Game Boy Advance, older PC games)
The gaming computer downstairs will also run a variety of older games, whether it is through emulators or dated PC game engines. For these games that require a 4:3 aspect ratio, this background changes the orientation of its different elements. Whether it is running N64 games through Project64, GBA games through Visual Boy Advance (sped-up Pokémon runs, anyone?), or dated PC titles (HOVER! for Windows 95, etc.), this look will complement the stream.
DS (DS)
In an attempt to create an exception where we are limited, streaming DS games through the DesMuMe emulator can be attempted on a game by game basis. The screens would be placed side-by-side, to create this widescreen-like view.
Layouts are still in development for live podcasts and other events that can take place on our channel!
The goal is that whenever we are playing one of these kinds of games, we will be streaming on the showmeyournews Twitch channel. This means that, currently, 3DS and Vita games are not compatible with this setup. Sorry for this inconvenience
We cannot promise a set streaming schedule, since real life has been happening a lot lately, but we will do the best we can to stream whenever we sit down to play on the big screen. When the time comes that Super and Tony are able to upgrade their technology for streaming, they will be able to use our channel as well!
The best way to follow when we are live is to get notifications sent to your phone, either via the Twitch app, or activating text notifications for our Twitter account.
Also, if you have not yet, be sure to also check out Read the Manual’s Twitch channel! Doba and Ben have started to become more active there, as they also use the same broadcasting tools that we have access to.
To wrap things up, I would recommend signing up for a Twitch account and then subscribing to our channel, if you have not already. For developing news on this, future broadcasts, and more…all I can say is “stay tuned.”
