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YouTube is making a play to keep users glued to the platform for longer. After a successful testing period, they're launching "Playables," a new feature offering in-app games to a wider audience.
A World of Games Within Your YouTube App
This move expands YouTube's offerings beyond just video content. With over 75 casual mobile games now available within the app, viewers can take a break from watching and enjoy a quick game. Popular titles like Angry Birds Showdown, Words of Wonders, Cut the Rope, Tomb of the Mask, and Trivia Crack are just a few examples, catering to a variety of interests.
Capitalizing on Existing Gaming Popularity
The introduction of Playables aligns with YouTube's existing strength in gaming content. Gaming videos are a massive draw, generating over 4 billion hours of watch time in 2022. Many popular creators are deeply connected to the gaming community. By offering Playables, YouTube taps into this established interest and provides a more direct gaming experience within the familiar app environment.
Will Users Embrace the Change?
However, the success of in-app games isn't guaranteed. Similar ventures by other platforms have had mixed results. Netflix's foray into mobile games saw minimal user engagement, with only 1% of its user base utilizing the games. Additionally, Meta's attempt to integrate lightweight games into Messenger and Facebook failed to gain traction. LinkedIn recently added logic puzzle-based in-app games, but user data on their adoption is yet to be available.
The biggest challenge for YouTube might be altering user behavior. People primarily access YouTube for video content, and encouraging them to adopt gaming within the app could be difficult. However, YouTube has been actively pushing boundaries with more interactive features like community posts. This suggests a strategic effort to nudge users towards a more diverse and engaging YouTube experience.
The success of the initial testing phase likely fueled the decision to expand Playables. With the rollout underway, we'll soon see if users embrace this new way to interact with the platform.
Finding Playables in the App
If you're part of the expanded Playables rollout, you'll see a dedicated "Playables" menu within the Explore section. Additionally, games might appear in your Home feed, search results, and potentially other areas of the YouTube app.
Stay tuned to see how Playables evolves and whether it becomes a mainstay in the YouTube experience.
