Minecraft Stream-watchers Can Alter Players' Worlds With Mixer

Minecraft streamers will soon be able to allow viewers to alter their world by changing the scenery, spawning enemies, and other variables that'll be available in a Mixer integration update.

The enhanced interaction possibilities between streamers and viewers are now available to toy around with in the 1.2.5 beta version of Minecraft. With this update, streamers can establish a set of options that'll be available for viewers to select from during gameplay. This means that viewers will be able to do something as simple and harmless as changing the time of day to something more explosive like spawning in a couple of Creepers. It's on the streamer to decide how much they'll allow in their gaming sessions though, so those who get their games messed with know what they're signing up for.

Minecraft's new interactive system is made possible through Mixer, the streaming service from Microsoft. By creating an interactive session through Mixer's Interactive Studio on either an Android device or the PC version, streamers can set specific Minecraft commands to certain buttons that'll be visible to those watching their broadcast. Once that's done, the interactions between the two parties begin as shown in the video demonstration above.

However, streamers will be able to set some restrictions on their gameplay to make sure that viewers don't constantly swarm them with unexpected changes. After creating their code and giving it a name so that viewers know what they'll be choosing when they select an option, streamers can establish some perimeters around the button to have some control. Cooldowns can be set for each command to prevent button-mashing, and streamers can also set Spark costs for each option.

For those less familiar with Mixer, Sparks are the service's currency that allows for actions such as these. They can be earned by watching streams and doing some streaming yourself, so if you want to interact with others' games, you'll have to do your part first, if the streamer decides so.

The interactive features are currently available in the 1.2.5 beta on Android and Windows 10 devices with an Xbox One option coming later in the week.