TikTok gaming has so far been a very small part of the streaming video app, but the company is said to be just days away from announcing an “enormous” push into the games market …
Background
TikTok has offered games to Chinese users since 2019, but in a rather low-key way. It brought a handful of games to the rest of the world in 2021, still without much fanfare or discoverability.
Back in May, we first heard that the company was planning to get more serious about it, expanding its partnership with Zynga to offer HTML-5 based games. The company tested these games with TikTok users in Vietnam.
TikTok gaming push coming next week
The Financial Times reports that TikTok is expected to make a major gaming announcement early next week.
TikTok is making a big push into gaming, adding a dedicated tab within the short-form video platform, its first venture into a different entertainment format […]
Users will be able to access the games via a button on the homepage of what is one of the world’s most popular video apps. It will feature a host of mobile games where ads can be served and users can pay for additional content, according to four people familiar with the plans.
The FT notes that TikTok last month appointed a heavy-hitter as head of global gaming, and that the exec made no secret of the fact that the area was of significant interest to the video company.
Former Intel system architect Assaf Sagy added the appointment to his LinkedIn profile, stating:
TikTok and gaming were made for each other. TikTok has far shown its value in helping consumers discover what’s fun, valuable, and popular. I look forward to working closely with all gaming companies globally to help make TikTok a central foundation in your marketing strategies.
It’s expected that the company will officially announce the move at a special event on November 2, dubbed “TikTok Made Me Play It.” Gaming companies Electronic Arts, 2K, VNG Corporation, NetEase Games, and Homa are all said to be sending speakers.
TikTok issued a one-sentence non-statement:
We’re always looking at ways to enrich our platform and regularly test new ideas that we think can bring value to our community.
The move comes at an interesting time, with Netflix entering the market, while Snapchat and Facebook appear to be easing out of gaming. Google also recently announced that it was adding Stadia to the Google Graveyard.
Photo: Aaron Weiss/Unsplash
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