With the proliferation of online multiplayer gaming on the Xbox 360 and the PS3, it seemed like the good old days of sitting in a family room or basement watching a friend or sibling charge though a 40 hour epic Japanese role playing game were over. The charm of gaming has changed from a shared adventure and rite of passage in the offline days to a frenzy of constant participation and competition in the online era. Fortunately, the good old days are back, and nostalgic game watcher can rejoice, for the advent of the gaming spectator renaissance is upon us.

With Twitch, a video-streaming offshoot of justin.tv for gamers, those looking for a less interactive way to enjoy video games have had the option of visiting a vast number of channels dedicated to bringing other peoples’ button mashing onto their screens.

Twitch is now available on the Xbox 360, through an app that can be downloaded by Xbox Live Gold Members living in the US. Offering the top 300 live channels for streaming directly into a gamer’s living room, Twitch is sure to bring on the nostalgia.

The announcement of this service for consoles fits into the emerging trend of online couch-side spectatorship that is now trending in gaming communities. A talking point with Sony’s PS4 announcement earlier this year (although overshadowed by the fact that the console itself was not present) was the ‘share’ button that will be on every new controller. Allowing players to stream their games onto synced social networking accounts, Sony, too, sees this as a boon to the gaming community.

Unfortunately for the attention seeker, the Xbox app will only allow players to view, not broadcast. This will come as a disappointment to console supporters itching for the ability to showcase their fragging in games other than Call of Duty Black Ops 2, which already has a live cast Twitch-ready feature. With the way things are going though, it won’t be long before the Internet becomes simply another way to invite a friend over to watch you play games.