Black Ops II now has embedded Twitch.tv streaming built in

The ability to stream Call of Duty Black Ops II straight to your Twitch.tv account is now possible. You will be able to stream yourself playing either League Play or Public Matchmaking. Activision worked closely with Twitch to use its SDK (Software Development Kit) to make the streaming service automatically available. It requires no additional hardware.

Gamers will only need to enter their Twitch.tv account information within Black Ops II menu to begin streaming to the Twitch.tv website and viewing apps. Twitch has a FAQ section which does state they recommend 3mbps (megabits per second, which is 3,000 kbps) upload speed from your ISP. You can determine what your upload speed is by going to SPEEDTEST.net. Gamers can also share their streams through various social media networks like Twitter and Facebook after you link them within the Black Ops II settings menu, allowing friends to easily tune into their gaming sessions. In addition to streaming gameplay, viewers will be able to check out additional information about broadcasters, including class loadouts, recent match statistics, as well as career statistics across all supported Call of Duty games on Call of Duty Elite.

The broadcasting capability will be available to Xbox gamers only at launch but Twitch expects the feature to soon come to PS3 and the desktop versions of the game. I was informed by twitter handle, @konaskorner, who does high quality streams of various games to Twitch, that the resolution is only 360p. In addition to the game video, users will be able to hook up headsets and xbox 360 compatible video cameras (the kinect for example) to capture their audio commentary or video reactions as they stream their multiplayer session to Twitch. Here is a short video created by an employee at Twitch who goes by the twitter handle @MrErnestLe

This is a very neat feature that will be built into Black Ops II but if you desire to provide your viewers with a better resolution than a mere 360p you'll be better off just getting a dedicated capture device and streaming through your computer. Are you excited for this new feature?

-Ubu out

Shank 2 - Let's Play

I had mentioned previously that I purchased the Humble Bundle 7 for $15 US dollars. I am really enjoying Shank 2, a side-scroller type game where you engage enemies along the way.

I have decided since I am enjoying it so much that I would capture my journey on video and upload to my YouTube channel so that you too can join in on the fun so to speak.

If you enjoy the Let's Play please be sure to LIKE the videos and share with your friends as it lets me know my subscribers interest.

-Ubu out

Black Ops II - Dec 8th Patch Details

For those of you that aren't aware I have a YouTube channel where I put up either vidoe blogs or gameplay with commentaries, most times of the latest Call of Duty released. Well on December 8th, 2012 Treyarch released a very significant patch for their latest title Black Ops II. Among bug fixes they have "nerfed" (make less powerful) many guns that the community was claiming to be too powerful and make the game unfair for those using them. In this video I detail out every single patch that came to Xbox 360 on the 8th. Hope you enjoy and if so, leave a rating and share with your friends. 

-Ubu out

Elgato Game Capture HD Software Update - Version 1.2

Elgato Game Capture HD software has been updated to version 1.2.

For those that are unfamiliar with what an Elgato Game Capture HD device is, it allows for recording of un-encrypted HDMI signals and also now for Live Streaming to Twitch.tv. It has a USB 2.0 interface which is compatible with Windows 7/8 and Mac OS X 10.7 or newer. Inputs include Xbox 360 (un-encrypted HDMI), Playstation 3 (A/V In), and Wii-U (un-encrypted HDMI). It outputs via an HDMI pass-through. Supported resolutions are 1080p (simultaneous 60 fps pass-through and 30 fps capture), 1080i, 720p (60 or 30 fps capture), and 576p.

The software has been updated to include live streaming straight to Twitch.tv as well as still allowing you to capture simultaneously. It now has a built in Live Commentary feature where it can record any microphone connected to your computer. You can find a balance with the game audio and even automatically lower the volume of the game when you speak.

Now you can also connect a standard definition gaming system to capture and even stream retro gaming systems. You can use the included component adapter to connect the composite output of your console, and still leave your TV connected via HDMI.

You can even capture your iPad or iPhone gameplay and even automatically crop the capture to the size of your app. With digital gain, you can now better control the volume of your game audio. There's a lot you can tweak, but with collapsible section and the new tabbed settings window, you'll see that finding options you want has never been easier.

Download the updated application HERE.

-Ubu out