YouTube Testing Ways To Integrate Online Games To Its Service

The feature is currently only in the experimental phase and may not become an end-product.

By Shahmeer Sarfaraz June 25, 2023

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YouTube is reportedly testing methods to integrate online games into its video-hosting service, as mentioned in a new report by The Wall Street Journal.
The feature dubbed “Playables” could feature a vast array of arcade online games. The feature will target both mobile and PC devices, letting viewers enjoy games on a whim.
A single game, Stack Bounce, was featured for the employees to test the new feature internally. Stack Bounce is an arcade game that lets players break layers of bricks with a bouncing ball.
We suggest taking the new report with a grain of salt, as nothing official has been announced at the time of writing. The feature may never make it to an official release.

According to a new report by The Wall Street Journal, YouTube is internally testing a new feature that will allow viewers to enjoy the implemented online games. The feature in question is currently in the experimental phase, and no details regarding it exist. The source quoted an email sent to employees at the parent company Google recently to test the feature internally.

The giant conglomerate invited its employees to test the new YouTube feature dubbed “Playables,” as per the report. The report also added Google used popular entries, such as the arcade game Stack Bounce for tinkering with the new feature. According to the screenshot available in the pay-walled report, it is a game where players try to break layers of bricks with a bouncing ball.

The new Playables product will give viewers access to a roster of games on both mobile and PC devices; in other words, we could play games out of our web browser on the YouTube Site or through platforms running Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS mobile systems, as noted by the report. No other details regarding the feature or how the online games will be implemented have been affirmed.

A YouTube spokesperson also added that gaming is a crucial focus for YouTube, and the company is indulging in various experiments to add new features. Moreover, the representative further stated it had “nothing to announce right now.”

While the new feature seems unorthodox knowing that YouTube is a video-hosting site, The Wall Street Journal report also adds that it is the latest incentive by CEO Neal Mohan to curb the slowdown of the advertising spending. To clarify, the CEO wants to host online games on the platform to extend its roots into new unexplored areas while retaining its video-hosting features.

YouTube is a popular site for hosting a wide variety of content, ranging from technical videos to entertaining pranks. The gaming industry has also thrived on the platform, as it is a notable place for users to stream games and watch live-streamed game footage. The new feature could add a whole another level of depth to the dominating platform. We suggest taking the report with a grain of salt until it is officially revealed by YouTube.

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