mixer.com
Mixer is a streaming platform that gamers can use to watch videos of other people playing video games. Over the past couple of years, Mixer has stepped up their game, and more streamers have been switching to the website recently. Mixer is different from Twitch, but in a good way!
In 2017, Beam partnered with Microsoft and renamed their streaming website Mixer. They did a major design overhaul on the logo, which is now recognizable across platforms.
One of the biggest surprises the company has pulled off is landing a deal with Ninja, a popular streamer. He signed with Mixer on August 1st of 2019 and has since streamed exclusively on Mixer, driving traffic up significantly for the website.
Website Design
I love the design of Mixer because it is so simple and easy to navigate. It flows nicely and is very directional, making it a great platform for anyone trying to watch streaming video games.
Another great thing about Mixer is its consistent design. Compare this to the different designs for desktop platforms versus mobile. Whereas, Mixer looks very similar on both versions.
The organization of the page falls in the middle. The initial categories are fine. Scrolling to see more categories isn't bad and allows you to view a multitude of streamers. However, I like subcategories to filter through. This is mostly a personal preference though.
Content
ThoughMixer's primary focus is definitely video games, there are a few streamers who do multiple things like cosplay, play video games and show artworks in progress. Some people have complained that the content on Mixer is too varied, but it overall seems to be a great platform for streaming.
The platform offers e-commerce called "Ember" to support favorite creators. There are also subscriptions. A great feature of streaming sites like "Mixer" is that you can interact with your favorite internet personalities in real-time.
Desktop & Mobile Accessibility
I found the desktop website to be very user-friendly. The blue color scheme is pleasing on the eyes, and the categories are easy to scroll down. Featured, Partner Spotlight, and Up and Coming are some of the categories you will find. If you want to sort through your favorite games, the Games tab is easy to find. The built-in brose feature offers a guide to the top streams in real-time.
The mobile browsing experience is very similar to the desktop browser. The app is well-optimized for mobile use, and maintains the branding. The consistency of design between all versions is great! The set-up in the app asks viewers about their likes and makes recommendations based on them, which is another cool feature.
Positives
Overall, I think Mixer does a great job designing their website.
There are many positives about Mixer. Firstly, their website design is great and easy to use. The categories are simple and broken down in the Games tab. This makes browsing popular streams a breeze. Additionally, the website places all top streams in a central location - the Browse tab. All in all, I think Mixer does a great job designing their website.
There are no ads when using Mixer, which is a much-needed relief compared to sites that constantly run ads. If the site keeps this feature, it will be a great addition.
Stream on Mixer! It's super easy to set up an account and start broadcasting your favorite content. There are a ton of genres and categories to pick from, so whether you're a streaming novice or a pro, Mixer has something for you. The community is super welcoming, and I've had great interactions with them so far.
One of my favorite features about Mixer is that it has highlighted categories for partnered streamers. Each streamer has their own little section to flip through, which is great because I can avoid playing my games with them and see their professional headshots instead! The profiles look very well put together, too.
Finally, Mixer's subs are very affordable. One easy way to support content creators is by subscribing to them. For only $4.99 viewers can make a purchase and unlock things like emoticons and other special ways to interact in chat.
Negatives
Despite being an up and coming site, Mixer has some growing pains. There are still a few features in beta mode, and it looks like the team is still figuring out a few things. The majority of the negative statements I have about the platform are due to growing pains.
The search bar on the landing page is not easily recognizable, which makes it an issue for me. If you begin to scroll down the page, it will appear in the right-hand corner and hover. Another way to find the search by clicking on the browse field or games category.
The variety of content on the site is a bit limited. Almost all categories are related to video games. However, some of the more popular games are missing streamers. This is largely due to the growing popularity of the platform. If the company continues to focus on big-name streamers, more viewers are likely to convert. I'm hoping that the diversity of streams will increase soon. I would like to see more artists, cosplayers, and crafters online. I would also like to see more tabletop games on the site.
I have a small complaint about the lack of censoring. I'm not sure if all streams are like this or not, but on a couple of occasions, I saw some curse words show up in the chat. This is not a big deal for me, as I am an adult. However, if the platform wants to market itself as a website for everyone, censoring to some extent is necessary.
Improvements Needed
The website could use more traffic to improve its performance. However, it will likely take some time for this to happen.
Another great improvement for Mixer would be to sign more big-name streamers. The company shouldn't only rely on the few bigger names that they have. Actively convincing other big-name streamers to use their site exclusively would be great. Again, since the company is growing this is a task that will take time. I am sure Mixer is already working on this and it will just take a little bit of time until we see the benefits.
Last, I would love for more variety in content. Over sixty percent of the streams on Twitch are video games, but that's just a small drop in the bucket. If artists, cosplayers, and DIYers were featured more frequently on the website it would pull in a lot more traffic.
Summary
Overall, I'm happy with Mixer.
Overall, I think Mixer is a good streaming platform. There are plenty of positives, and only a few negative features. The history behind Mixer is interesting; the company managed to snag one of the top gaming streamers in the world and continues to impress viewers. Overall, I'm happy with Mixer!
Some of the positive aspects of Mixer's website design and consistency are its appearance, ease of use, and overall branding. The website is visually appealing and uses consistent color schemes on all versions, including desktop, mobile browser, and mobile app. Additionally, the website manages to remain clean and organized despite frequent updates.
Some negative features of Mixer are the lack of categories beyond video games, and the placement of the search bar. The search bar hovering after scrolling is bothersome, but not a deal-breaker. The site's diversity is also forgivable. It will undoubtedly grow as the website does.
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