YouTube is indeed close to securing a $1 billion buyout of live streaming service Twitch, and will have fended off multiple suitors including Microsoft if the deal goes through, according to people with close knowledge of the talks. The two companies have agreed on a price and are working out details such as how independent the Twitch company and brand will remain, said one person close to the deal, who asked to remain anonymous. Twitch is said to have evaluated possible bids and decided on Googles YouTube as the best fit to help the company scale in line with its massive growth over recent years. Variety first reported details of the talks. Twitch is said to believe that Google can help the company become what it wants to be — the definitive platform for watching and streaming live video gaming.