Jitter, a new indie studio pushing the boundaries of Twitch-integrated games, recently pulled off a mind-bending feat: thousands of fans stormed a live game world with streamer DougDoug, while many more viewers wielded the power of Twitch chat to wreak havoc.
The game took place on a chaotic obstacle course. A horde of players within the game each had the ultimate goal of capturing DougDoug — who attempted to fend them off with special superpowers. Meanwhile, viewers unleashed game-altering commands to blow up bridges and determine which powers were sent DougDoug’s way.
Achieving this level of interactivity and this kind of scale required serious tech muscle, and affordability was key for a new indie and streamers alike. Enter MSquared, the ideal solution that empowered Jitter to scale its ambition without breaking the bank.
Scaling the impossible
“No-one else has the technology to pull this off and make this level of massive-scale gaming opportunity a reality,” says Jitter GM Luke Taylor. “Without MSquared, we’d be just another Twitch-integrated game. We wouldn’t be revolutionary. But MSquared enables us to scale up the experience to the point a streamer can play with their entire community.”
Beyond sheer scale, MSquared also offered Jitter other benefits. Built-in interoperability meant some players swapped default ‘gourd’ (think avocados with legs) avatars for their Bored Apes and Grillz Gang creations. And while Jitter largely flew solo as a self-serve customer, MSquared was on hand to provide expert support, from bespoke Twitch integration authentication to extensive scale testing before the big event.
Exceeding expectations
Jitter had initially hoped DougDoug’s clout and receptive audience might bring 1,000 players into the game itself. On the day? Concurrent users peaked at 2,400 — more than double Jitter’s goal — and viewer interaction smashed targets too. “Much of that success hinges on MSquared’s frictionless experience,” explains Luke. “With traditional games, live streaming events are a logistical nightmare. Downloading, booting up Steam, and paying money are all barriers. But with MSquared, viewers just click a link and they are inside a game.”
Player retention was remarkably high — most stuck around for the entire event, thrilled to share the experience with their favourite streamer and community. Twitch viewers were equally captivated, enthusing about the polish, scale and unprecedented level of live interaction. And DougDoug? That seasoned veteran of game activations was deeply impressed too: “The tech to allow that many people to be synced simultaneously is incredible. I remember when Fortnite came out and it was a big deal to have 100 players on a server. Now, having thousands of people synced in real-time is just crazy.”
“The numbers and feedback massively exceeded our expectations,” added Luke. “That we hit every mark for different audiences was amazing. The tech, the scale, the entire experience — it was a resounding success.”
The future of Twitch-integrated games
This is just the beginning. Luke says Jitter will now further push the boundaries, with visual overlays to replace chat commands, Twitch purchases reflected in a game world, tower defence elements to give creators scope for custom game modes and team-based battles, and multiple game worlds streamers can select from to further boost their connection to fans.
The partnership with MSquared is crucial to all this, providing the tech backbone and ongoing support to power Jitter’s ambitions. “Our unique approach to live gaming, has the potential to really shake up Twitch streaming, blurring the line between viewer and player,” concluded Luke, “and MSquared is the engine that enables it all to happen.”
Keen to create your own virtual world — that you own — in which thousands of fans can interact in the same space, at the same time? We can provide the tech and support you need.
