Mobile gaming company DeNA has launched a live streaming app that lets users stream anything on their smartphones, from chats to apps and video.
Mirrativ goes beyond popular video live streaming apps like Periscope and Meerkat, as well as console-oriented Twitch, because it can broadcast smartphone screen content instead of just live feeds from the camera or video games.
A blend of the words “mirror” and “narrative,” Mirrativ will mirror the content of the broadcaster’s screen on those of followers. The broadcaster can receive feedback in real time in the form of stars, questions or comments.
DeNA said the app can create a “shared experience” between the broadcaster and followers. For instance, gamers could use Mirrativ to share tips with followers, while shoppers could seek advice while searching for goods on e-commerce sites.
The Face Camera feature shows a live view of the broadcaster’s face in a small box superimposed on the live stream screen view. That adds another layer of expression to interactions such as chat screens, which have mostly been text, emoticons and cartoonish stickers.
Mirrativ is available in beta on Google Play, with releases for iOS users still in development. While MIrrativ feeds can be viewed with Android 4.1 or higher, broadcasting requires Android 5.0 or above.
While live streaming apps present a number of legal questions, Periscope has exploded in popularity since Twitter bought it earlier this year, gaining fame with events such as the professional boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
Mirrativ follows DeNA releases such as Showroom, a livestreaming app for performing artists and their fans that emphasizes interaction.
The latest app also comes as DeNA tries to bolster its mainline business of mobile gaming while expanding into new fields.
It formed a partnership with Nintendo earlier this year to bring iconic video game characters to mobile devices, and has announced a raft of new ventures ranging from a personal genetic testing service called Mycode to a joint venture focused on launching self-driving taxis in Tokyo by 2020.