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Discord Announces "Rich Presence" For Joining And Spectating Games
Discord today has announced "Rich Presence" features for the well-known gaming chat app, allowing players to join players, spectate, and check out where their friends are in the game.
With games that hook into the app, you can ask to join someone's game by checking their profile. For Call of Duty: WWII, for example, you can click someone's profile and then ask to jump into a game with them right there. For some games, it even shows where in the game someone is, similar to presence data on consoles.
“Rich Presence removes the friction PC gamers often feel when joining game sessions with their friends, “ says Discord CEO Jason Citron. “It gives players a clear at-a-glance understanding of what their friends are playing, how they are playing it, where they are in the game, and a one-click way to jump in and join.”
Developers opt-in to this, so not every game is going to support it right out of the gate. The initial list includes Call of Duty: WWII, Divinity: Original Sin 2, and Payday 2, with more games coming down the line.
Our Take
Discord is making moves to secure its reputation as a gaming chat program with moves like the official servers initiative announced a few weeks and now stronger game integration. It cuts out a middle man for programs you're already using, which should hopefully work out well.
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