The social media platform TikTok, best known for singing, dancing and lip-syncing, now looks set to enter the gaming market. However, no AAA games are on the agenda as it embarks on a pilot project with mini-games. It's a handful of HTML5-based titles that will be playable directly in the app. This is reported by TechCrunch and the project will reportedly involve well-known mobile game developers such as Voodoo, FRVR, Nitro Games, Aim Lab and Lotum.
The pilot will initially only be offered to selected countries, but who will be included is currently unknown. Here's what a TikTok representative had to say to TechCrunch:
"We're always looking at ways to enrich our platform and regularly test new features and integrations that bring value to our community. Currently, we're exploring bringing HTML5 games to TikTok through integrations with third-party game developers and studios."
The pilot has two goals. Firstly, to get an idea of how interesting a game offer is for users, but also to be able to test technically how well such a feature works in the app. The idea is that the games can be accessed through the "Add Link" section, when uploading your video. There, a sub-menu will appear with different choices, such as recipes, reviews and just games.
The fact that TikTok and mobile games giant Zygna, now owned by Take-Two, have joined forces means that it comes as no surprise that this could now become a reality, and if it works out well, there is a wealth of game titles to integrate into the service. Whether it will cost anything is not clear, but a not too unlikely guess is that the rub will be free-to-play with a generous selection of different types of microtransactions.
This is the full list of games:
Basketball FRVR by FRVR
Tap the Difference by Lotum
Peek a Who by Nitro
Pride Run by Voodoo
Influencer Run by Voodoo
Space Destroyer by Nitro
Mr. Aim Lab's Nightmare by Aims Labs
Kitten Force by FRVR