Noice reveals prediction-based gameplay for livestreams

Noice revealed its gameplay for its gameplay livestreaming platform that includes its own multiplayer prediction game for spectators.

The combination game and livestreaming platform lets gamers wager on what will happen next in a Fortnite match, allowing players to get more engaged with every match that they spectate, said Jussi Laakkonen, CEO of Noice, in a press briefing where he demoed the platform.

Earlier this month, Noice announced it had raised $21 million in venture funding.  To date, the company has raised a cumulative $27 million across two funding rounds, including an earlier $5 million seed round.

The prediction game lets players earn rewards and wager their own virtual currency, which they purchase with real money or win through loyalty rewards.

Laakkonen’s team of 70 people built the platform over 3.5 years, with much of the work done during the pandemic. It will launch in 2024 with support for predictions in Fortnite and Apex Legends, with more games to come in the future, Laakkonen said.

Origins

Laakkonen was previously executive vice president at Unity. He cofounded Applifier before that and sold it to Unity in 2014. That gave him the funds to invest in Noice as well and to incubate it for multiple years. He said Noice distinguishes itself as a multiplayer game and livestreaming platform that transcends conventional boundaries. The platform reimagines livestreaming by seamlessly integrating viewers into the gameplay as active participants.

Laakkonen said that this startup is very personal for him.

“Sometimes good ideas come when you’re trying to solve your own problem,” he said.

Laakkonen said he was inspired by rooting for his favorite Counter-Strike esports team as it had a meteoric rise during a big tournament. He was on a sabbatical and on a ski vacation with his sons. He was watching Twitch and he was watching esports. He watched the unknown team playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. They began doing better and made it to the grand finals.

Laakkonen got a high rooting for the esports team, but he was also very disappointed with the experience. He wanted to celebrate with others and participate in the big event, but there was no way for him to express that. He said he felt like he was behind a glass barrier as he cheered on the players.

He wanted to make Noice into the first livestreaming platform that puts the user first. The company began brainstorming in March 2019, but it was incorporated in August 2020. In the summer of 2020, Laakkonen was brainstorming about the name. They had a couple of hundred options on a notepad. Then he mispelled “noise” as “noice.” People liked it because it was positive.

The company did an early pilot test and found there was something to the idea. The COVID happened and the company slowed down. It hired more people and built its first prototype in February 2021. After that, they started building out a complex product for gamers, creators and game developers.

What is Noice?

The team created Noice as a standalone video platform that changes the way communities engage and interact with live streams. With Noice, you don’t just watch, you play the stream. It is meticulously crafted to meet the needs of gamers and community builders who are ardent about gaining recognition and actively participating in the streaming experience.

This platform offers a distinctive fusion of a streaming platform and a multiplayer game. Viewers become active participants by predicting the outcomes of creators’ streams, transforming the streaming session into a dynamic multiplayer experience. Even chat lurkers are encouraged to step out of their shells and join the excitement, making Noice a truly immersive and engaging space for all.

I participated in a demo with a few teammates in my squad including Jenni Wilson, cofounder and creative director of Noice. We created our own avatars that resembled those from Fortnite. We joined a party together and then watched a Fortnite streamer in a game of battle royale.

I found that I could get a hand of shuffled cards with particular predictions and a number of points associated with the wagers that I would place. If the prediction, such as collecting a set amount of wood, happened in the 60-second or so time frame, then I would win the wager and get more points.

How streamers benefit

Being an early adopter of Noice opens up additional monetization avenues for streamers, with full support and white glove support ensuring a smooth experience, Noice said.

Streamers also gain access to the product team and feedback sessions, allowing for continuous improvement and a collaborative relationship with the platform. Overall, Noice provides streamers with diverse opportunities to monetize their content and create a more interactive and rewarding streaming environment.

Noice provides a unique platform for streamers to enhance their overall streaming experience and financial opportunities. Streamers on Noice benefit from better engagement through the platform’s innovative card game, where viewers actively play the stream, fostering deeper connections and loyalty within the community. Customizable avatars in fully animated 3D environments allow viewers to express their personality and style, creating a unique sense of community representation.

Noice offers more ways for streamers to earn, with a reward-based advertising system and the opportunity to create and sell in-game items called creator cards. Streamers also gain access to the product team and feedback sessions, fostering continuous improvement and a collaborative relationship with the platform.

In terms of community building, Noice goes beyond providing a distinct identity for streamers and their communities. Viewers can express themselves through customizable avatars, establishing a unique presence within the community. Streamers can easily recognize and connect with community members based on their avatars, fostering a sense of familiarity even before interactions occur in the chat.

Rewarding players

For players, Noice starts as a free-to-play game.

Noice actively celebrates and promotes engagement by featuring the most active viewers through channel spotlights, providing recognition and rewards for dedicated community members. This not only acknowledges and rewards loyal viewers but also inspires others to participate, creating a dynamic cycle of interaction that contributes to the overall growth of the community.

To reduce downtime between games, Noice provides an interactive tour of the arena. This tour lets you explore your gaming environment, watch your fans come alive, and keep the energy high throughout your stream.

All Noice partners benefit from a 70/30 revenue share for both subscribers and Creator Cards. About 70% is directed to the creator and the remaining 30% allocated to Noice to offset infrastructure costs and platform development. Viewers are rewarded for watching post-game ads through platform incentives, creating a win-win scenario for both streamers and viewers.

Official browser support for Noice is limited to Google Chrome during this phase of the beta. This limitation is in place to thoroughly test, develop, and evolve the Noice platform, ensuring the best experience for the community. The team plans to work towards supporting a wider range of browsers as they move beyond the closed beta and into the global release phase.

Noice offers optional currencies and items in the Store to enhance the user experience, providing both purchasing and earning options. Users can acquire these items through regular use and by watching optional advertisements.

The platform store is where players can buy card bundles, reshuffle tokens, and credits. Card bundles are bought using Noice’s soft currency — Noice Coins — which are the main currency for the Noice Card Game. Coins can be earned by completing Daily Goal Cards as well as through Match Rewards and watching incentivized adverts. The more cards you have, the more options you have when playing the Noice card game. Channel Currency, another soft currency at the channel level, is mainly used for acquiring channel-specific consumables, such as crowd and chat interactions.

Reshuffle tokens allow you to switch out your card hand in hopes of getting better cards. You can buy these tokens using Noice’s hard currency — Noice credits, although they can also be obtained via Daily Goal Cards. Noice credits can also be used for a wide range of purchases, including premium social interactions.

Aside from reshuffle tokens, Noice credits are used to purchase Premium Card Bundles, Social Features (such as highlighting a message in chat), and standing out in the crowd. Weekly goals provide some Noice credits, as do watching adverts. The primary means of acquiring credits, however, is via real money purchases. Noice credits, then, are the last thing you can buy from the store.

This comprehensive system allows users to customize their experience and acquire items in various ways, contributing to a more engaging and rewarding gameplay environment, so that players who do not wish to spend are able to participate on an even playing field.

While packs are purchasable with real money, there are various ways of gaining gold(gems) for free. Noice allows you to watch adverts to gain currency on a daily basis, so that players who do not wish to spend are able to participate in an even playing field. Ads are only available as an opt-in basis and will not be show during streams.

More games will be available in the future. You can use OBS to record locally alongside streaming to Noice.