Activision announced today that Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 will support live-streaming of video to YouTube from both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles.
The development, a first in console gaming, will allow live, remote viewing of games streamed direct from the games consoles of players. The announcement will be welcome news among deathmatch communities eager to view pro tournaments live, and doubtless show off their own "quickscope pwnage," or whatever it is the Call of Duty kids are into these days.
"By making the capability of live streaming as accessible as possible to our fans, straight from a player's console without the need for any additional hardware or sophisticated setups, we are empowering our fans to share their multiplayer experiences," said Mark Lamia, boss of Black Ops 2 developer Treyarch.
He's not wrong. Video captures of first-person-shooter sessions can clock seriously high view-counts on YouTube, though those that do best tend to be remarkable videos of rare cases of prowess, luck or misfortune: precisely the things you're unlikely to see watching a live stream. However, it may prove popular if used to broadcast high profile matches between leading clans.
There's a small catch in that an active Call of Duty Elite registration will be required to view live streams, though it's doubtful that many without an Elite registration would find the feature of interest.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 launches on November 13.
Source: Activision