In an effort to try and turn Facebook into a social media platform that video-gamers want to partner with, Facebook is teaming up with Twitch and YouTube to create their very own Gaming Creator Pilot Program — a design that allows Facebook users to tip a minimum of $3 to select gamers while they watch players stream.
The announcement came on Jan. 26, with a vlog posted to Facebook that explained the details of the new program.
Gamers who are brought on to the Gaming Creator Pilot Program will be able to receive direct payments during the live stream, as long as they are using a desktop. They will also be able to stream in 1080/60fps.
Facebook is currently looking at dozens of well-known gamers and original content creators to be selected for the Gaming Creator Pilot Program. This includes Misses Mae, Doom49, StoneMountain64 and The Warp Zone, according to Tube Filter.
The end goal that Facebook is pursuing is to create a platform in which the 2 billion people who use their site will be able to provide enough of a revenue to the gamers so that they can quit their day jobs and pursue gaming full time.
“There’s a lot of work to be done, but we’re committed to building the fundamental architecture that gaming creators need to be successful,” the company said in a statement via Mashable. “Most of all, with each new feature we add for gaming video, we’re committed to building it alongside our creators hand-in-hand.”
While Facebook may not have the same number of gamers as Twitch or YouTube currently has, they have begun to attract more and more of them throughout the last couple of years. In 2016, Facebook made a deal with World of Warcraft and Overwatch creators — Blizzard — that lets gamers stream their footage directly on to their Facebook page. They have also recently announced exclusive Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Data 2 competitions.
The Gaming Creator Pilot Program is live now, with new users being added every day (there’s even a wait-list). Applications can be found here.