Google doesn’t really have a good track record when it comes to gaming. Their last attempt at gaming with Stadia, a cloud gaming service, didn’t end up well and it only lasted for 3 years and 4 months, from 19 November 2019 to 18 January 2023 before Google shut it down citing it “hadn’t gained the traction with users“. Now, Google is trying it again, this time through YouTube and focusing on much simpler games.
According to The Wall Street Journal, YouTube, in an effort to expand beyond its traditional video hosting role and navigate a decline in advertising revenue, is internally testing a new product called “Playables”. This product aims to enable users to play and share online games seamlessly.
Recently, Google, YouTube’s parent company, sent an email to its employees inviting them to participate in testing Playables. The product provides users with access to various games that can be played on mobile devices or desktop computers. One of the games available for testing is Stack Bounce, an arcade game where players try to demolish layers of bricks using a bouncing ball.
The games can be instantly played through the YouTube website on web browsers or the YouTube app on Android and iOS devices.
By venturing into the gaming realm, YouTube aims to expand its presence in the industry and explore new avenues for growth, as CEO Neal Mohan seeks alternative areas to bolster revenue amidst a slowdown in advertising expenditure.
YouTube spokesman said that:
Gaming has long been a focus at YouTube. We’re always experimenting with new features, but have nothing to announce right now.
At this point, we don’t know when this feature will come out, but it’s not like people want to play games on YouTube anyway.
