YouTube begins experimenting with mini-games following TikTok and Netflix

YouTube started experimenting with games, which appears to be part of a plan to expand its presence in the entertainment world. The Google-owned platform is currently being tested with a new section called playable (Playable), which is available both in the web version and in applications for mobile devices.

As the Californians explained, at the moment this is a test available to a limited number of YouTube users. Those who have been selected to participate in this experiment will see a new section on the main page of the service.

An interesting fact is that it will be possible to see and manage the progress of the session from the history of YouTube. It is not yet known how long this trial will last. They also did not provide further details on how many titles would be offered under this method.

The only certainty is that one of the games already available on YouTube Stack bounce. This is a mini-game that Google also offers through GameSnacks, a platform that includes a diverse catalog of simple HTML5 sentences that can be played over the web.

YouTube begins testing mini-games on its website and mobile apps

This new YouTube initiative It has settings similar to those of Netflix., who also studies the world of games. The big difference is that, unlike a streaming service, those who access the titles from the Google platform will not have to download them themselves.

Unknown if there is a partition playable YouTube uses the same cloud infrastructure that was once used by Stadia. Or at least part of it. If Mountain View’s idea is to add GameSnacks minigames to their video service, they might be looking to provide simple suggestions for some casual gaming session, and nothing more.

It will be interesting to see if YouTube can plans to integrate games with its other features. For example, that users can play and share the screen live. Or that sessions can be recorded to be published later as short videos. Of course, we are moving into the realm of speculation, although the initiative does not look far-fetched. In the end, it will be something similar to what TikTok started testing last year.

One of the big problems that YouTube will surely have to solve is how to keep users interested in games. And here we return to what was said above: if the inclusion Stack bounce is a sign that more GameSnacks games will appear on the platform, it is obvious that the offer does not indicate hardcore gamers. Instead, he would like to entice the most casual gamers who are looking for entertainment beyond videos without leaving the app.

Like any experiment that Google and YouTube are conducting, nothing guarantees that games will become mainstream. We will be attentive to the news that may arise in this regard.