YouTube Tests Playables Section for Online Games

This move signifies YouTube's aspirations to expand beyond video hosting and venture into the realm of gaming, enabling easy gameplay and sharing between users.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Google recently invited employees to participate in the testing phase of a product called Playables, which grants users access to a selection of games on both mobile devices and desktop computers. A screenshot of the product showcases games like Stack Bounce, an arcade game where players aim to demolish layers of bricks using a bouncing ball. The email states that users would have instant access to these games through the YouTube website on web browsers or the YouTube app on devices running Google's Android and Apple's iOS mobile systems.

YouTube, known for its vast user base numbering in the billions, is already a popular platform for gamers and competes with Amazon's Twitch in livestreamed gaming content viewership. By incorporating a variety of online games, this new product would expand YouTube's presence in the gaming industry, providing Chief Executive Neal Mohan with opportunities for growth as advertising spending experiences a slowdown.

Google has previously encountered mixed results in game distribution, and it is common for the company to conduct internal testing of new services before releasing them to the public. Further details regarding the product's plans were not disclosed.

In a statement, a company spokesman emphasized that gaming has long been a focus at YouTube, adding that they continuously experiment with new features but have no announcements to make at the moment.

Google currently allows users to download mobile games through the Google Play app store on Android devices, taking a percentage cut, up to 30%, from developers earning over $1 million in annual revenue. The email sent to employees did not specify how YouTube would monetize the new product.

Services like Tencent's WeChat and Meta Platforms-owned Facebook have witnessed the popularity of simple and easily shareable games, similar to those being tested for Playables. However, developers of viral games, such as "Angry Birds," have struggled to replicate their initial success.

Consumer spending on mobile gaming, which includes many free-to-play casual games with advertisements, declined last year as part of a broader industry slowdown following a period of pandemic-driven growth.

Last year, Google announced the winding down of Stadia, a consumer-gaming service, due to its failure to attract a sufficient user base. However, Stadia's technology may find application within other areas of Google, including YouTube, following its shutdown, according to Stadia head Phil Harrison. The service allowed players to stream games directly from the cloud to multiple devices, a technically demanding task that necessitated Google to develop a customized chip in collaboration with Advanced Micro Devices.