TikTok is expanding into gaming, and Vietnam is lucky to be the first test subject for the app.
Due to the country's high concentration of younger smartphone owners, TikTok is testing its gaming app in Vietnam. But eventually, the social video platform plans to roll out games in Asia and possibly in other markets as well.
According to The Verge, a company representative confirmed the testing of HTML5 mini-games.
"We're always looking at ways to enrich our platform and regularly test new features and integrations that bring value to our community," said a TikTok representative.
TikTok Plans for Ad-Supported Games
The Verge's sources show that the plan is for ad-supported games that draw from the library of its parent company, ByteDance. This could boost revenue and increase the amount of time people spend on the TikTok app.
This isn't the first time ByteDance's ventured into gaming. Last November, the company partnered with Zynga to release an exclusive dance game, Disco Loco 3D.
"We see a tremendous opportunity to reach new audiences across the globe through TikTok's massive and unparalleled user base," said Zynga Publishing President Bernard Kim.
In June last year, TikTok tried at least one in-app minigame. It teamed up with Feeding America to make Garden of Good, a FarmVille-like experience where players could earn points and use them to donate, said The Verge.
According to Protocol, users of ByteDance's version of TikTok for the Chinese market, called Douyin, have been able to play minigames and other gaming content since 2019.
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Venture Into Gaming: TikToks Way of Keeping User Engagement High
Gaming for TikTok is a way to keep user engagement high. It also represents a major growth opportunity for the platform. This is similar in ways Netflix's recent venture into mobile gaming and Facebook parent company Meta's Instant Games platform.
It is expected that the global mobile games industry will surpass $100 billion this year. The market is overwhelmingly fueled by free-to-play games ranging from casual puzzle and endless runner games to complex versions of console and PC titles like miHoYo's Genshin Impact, Krafton's PUBG Mobile, and Roblox, as per Protocol's report.
TikTok will focus initially on minigames in the hypercasual space. The games could arrive as early as this fall.
It is unclear whether the company plans to create the games itself or if it will continue to license games from third parties like Zynga and others. However, ByteDance last year did acquire a mobile gaming studio called Moonton.
Meanwhile, TechCrunch said that according to an investigation by mobile product intelligence firm Watchful, which is based in Tel Aviv, TikTok is working on a number of features for livestreaming.
To enhance the livestreaming experience between creators and their fans, TikTok is working to add minigames to live videos in its app.
Watchful uncovered one live game, which is called Draw & Guess. The game is explicitly designed to encourage interaction between creators and viewers.
According to TechCrunch, in the Pictionary-like game, players are given words. They then draw it on the screen, and viewers try to guess what they're drawing. The correct guesses are shown on the screen.
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