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Twitch Shuts Down Justin.tv, Prepares for Google Acquisition

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Justin.tv, one of the first live video streaming services, is no more. Parent company Twitch Interactive pulled the plug on the site, its apps, and its API, as the Justin.tv homepage announced yesterday. Twitch Interactive is now putting all of its resources behind Twitch, the announcement said. Twitch is in the process of being acquired by Google for a reported $1 billion, so this looks to be part of the trimming and pruning that takes place before a sale.

Account holders won't be able to download their Justin.tv videos as the site discontinued video archiving in June, saying that archived videos were rarely watched. Instead, account holders can complete a form linked on the Justin.tv homepage to transfer their accounts to Twitch. The request must be made by September 5, and Twitch is for gaming content only. Paid account holders should have already gotten an email explaining how to get a refund. As for account holders who don't create gaming content, the Justin.tv homepage directs them to YouTube, Ustream, and Livestream.

Justin Kan created Justin.tv in 2007 as a way to broadcast his life around the clock. It was later the launching ground for iJustine, who became an online video star.

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