It is confirmed that TikTok is now testing games for the app in Vietnam. A representative of the company confirmed HTML5 mini-games tests are underway.
(Photo : Photo by WAKIL KOHSAR/Afghanistan/AFP via Getty Images)
In this photo illustration taken on April 21, 2022, the icon of an video sharing mobile phone application TikTok is pictured on a mobile phone used by an Afghan youth in Kabul. - The Taliban ordered a ban against video-sharing app TikTok and the survival-shooter PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) game on April 21, insisting they were leading Afghanistan's youth astray
"We're always looking at ways to enrich our platform and regularly test new features and integrations that bring value to our community," the representative said.
The move into the space is the platform's way to encourage more people to spend more time on the app. Its games will draw from the library of ByteDance, its parent company.
Not the First TikTok In-App Mini-Game
This isn't the first time users will find a mini-game on the app. The platform has already tried it with Garden of Good, a Farmville-like experience, in which they teamed up with Feeding America. Players earn points in the game that can be used to make a donation.
TikTok also announced a partnership with Zynga, Farmville's developer to make Disco Loco 3D last year.
The company will start with minigames that feature simple gameplay mechanisms and short playing time. They are also likely to have advertisements and the revenue will be split between ByteDance and game developers.
The first slate of the game released may arrive early as this fall. However, it's still unclear whether the company will build the games itself or if it will continue to license games from third parties.
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The Push to Livestreaming
TikTok has also tested streaming software for games with Live Studio for PCs, in which they let specific creators add more interactivity by adding mini-apps in videos.
Rumor has it that the platform is also working on several features for live streaming, such as games to further help streamers engage with their viewers. One of them is a Pictionary-like game, a treasure box gifting experience that produces coins to random views after a specific period, and a shopping experience that lets viewers browse through products from a livestream.
The TikTok Shop is offered in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, mainland China, Hong Kong, and the UK.
There is also the possibility of TikTok to allow screen-sharing to let creators share their screen with viewers in real-time, such as the audio, camera, notifications, and other alerts.
Does TikTok Need the Games?
The truth is, even without gaming features, TikTok revenue is skyrocketing. With advertising alone, it could triple this year to more than $11 billion, which will exceed the combined sales of Twitter Inc and Snap Inc.
Still, introducing games to the app is an excellent opportunity to keep user engagement high, which is the same thing Facebook and Netflix did. Therefore, the global mobile games are expected to surpass $100 billion this year. Today, the market is loaded with free games to complex versions of console and PC titles.
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Written by April Fowell
