On November 2, a pair of sessions titled TikTok Made Me Play It will explore how the titular platform creates opportunities for gamers. The app describes that production as its “first global gaming event,” but it won’t be the last time TikTok talks to players around the world. In fact, if a report in the Financial Times is to be believed, TikTok is about to launch a standalone hub dedicated to gaming.
The Financial Times report claims that the new gaming hub could be announced at the TikTok Made Me Play It event, but the platform itself stayed quiet about that possibility. “We’re always looking at ways to enrich our platform and regularly test new ideas that we think can bring value to our community,” reads a statement provided to FT.
Visitors to TikTok’s gaming locus would be able to check out a number of casual titles, which have been launched on the app in partnership with developers like Voodoo and Nitro. As is TikTok’s wont, it is reportedly testing its gaming hub in Vietnam before bringing it to the States. Users of the app’s Chinese equivalent — Douyin — have been able to play games since 2019.
Recently, TikTok has made several moves that have indicated its interest in the gaming world. It named Assaf Sagy as its Head of Global Gaming earlier this year. Then, it rolled out updates for its live streams in October. That expansion wasn’t specifically announced with gaming in mind, but the new features would be helpful for any streamers who get into games on TikTok.
It’s certainly the right time for the ByteDance-owned entity to pick up its controller. While Twitch and YouTube Gaming still dominate the video game streaming industry, Facebook recently shut down its standalone gaming app. Any displaced broadcasters could soon find a home on TikTok.
Why should those streamers choose TikTok over Twitch or YouTube? The potential answer to that question concerns the app’s cultural influence. Games like Zynga‘s High Heels (pictured above) have been boosted by viral TikTok videos, and if a standalone gaming hub does launch, it would be likely to span a slew of sleeper hits. Make sure you tune into TikTok Made Me Play it on November 2 if you don’t want to miss the announcement.
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