Tests are reportedly being conducted in TikTok to allow users to play games within the app, in a push to release games across southeast Asia as soon as within the year, Reuters reports, although TikTok owner ByteDance has yet to confirm.
The same sources claimed that TikTok will start with minigames but has ambitions exceeding into longer-form games.
Users are already able to watch streams of games in TikTok, but at present they are largely unplayable within the app.
Getting into gaming
One representative from TikTok commented that HTML5 games have been tested as an option for the app in collaboration with third-party developers like Zynga. This was seen last year in the form of Disco Loco 3D, a single-player endless runner game and the first HTML5 game developed for TikTok by an official game studio partner.
“We’re always looking at ways to enrich our platform and regularly test new features and integrations that bring value to our community,” said one representative to Reuters.
As Vietnam restricts games that depict violence and gambling, ByteDance will need to acquire a license for TikTok if it is to feature games in the territory. Similarly, the Chinese government restricts which games are allowed to release in China, recently approving a selection of games for the first time in almost nine months.
Conversely, the Chinese version of TikTok, Douyin, has already been allowing users to play games on the platform since 2019.
TikTok is not the only social media platform expanding into games. Pac-Man Community recently launched as a Facebook Gaming exclusive and, as a title developed by Genvid in partnership with Bandai Namco, it sees 98 per cent of its player base playing on mobile.
