In Vietnam, TikTok is testing games for the app ahead of a “big push” into the market. “We’re always searching for ways to expand our platform and regularly test new features and integrations that provide value to our community,” a company official acknowledged tests of HTML5 mini-games.
According to the outlet’s sources, the goal is for ad-supported games based on the ByteDance library, which may raise revenue and the amount of time people spend on the TikTok app — if that’s even possible.
TikTok has already tried at least one in-app mini-game, collaborating with Feeding America to create Garden of Good, a FarmVille-style experience in which players could earn points and donate them. Late last year, it announced a deal with Zynga, the creator of FarmVille, to create Disco Loco 3D, an HTML5-based endless runner that may function inside the app, but new rumors suggest that’s just the beginning for TikTok’s gaming ambitions.
Douyin, TikTok’s Chinese forerunner, already has games, while other businesses like Facebook and Netflix have lately entered the mobile gaming market. TikTok has also tested game streaming software with its Live Studio for PCs, allowing some producers to add more interactivity to their films by incorporating mini-apps.
According to another rumor, TikTok is working on a number of live-streaming features, according to product intelligence firm Watchful. They include activities such as a Pictionary-style game, a “treasure box” gifting experience that distributed monies to random viewers after a fixed length of time, and a shopping experience that allowed viewers to explore products from a live stream.
