The gaming industry may not be as stable as it is currently as shown by the recent layoffs, but that's not deterring YouTube from releasing its own set of games. Even though it's only the beginning of the streaming site's gaming plans, there are already several titles that can be accessed.
YouTube Playables
YouTube is following in Netflix's footsteps as it releases several gaming titles for its users. Similarly, it can only be played by paying subscribers. YouTube Premium holds 37 mini-games in total, which can be accessed through the phone desktop app.
The company is calling these games "Playables," and they differ from Netflix games in one aspect. You won't have to download them in order to play. The games will not require you to exit YouTube and play on a different app as well, as reported by The Verge.
If you're subscribed to the Premium service, it's likely that you already received a notification from YouTube informing you about the games that have been made available. In fact, some users already had access to the games since September.
However, you shouldn't expect the kind of games you would usually play on a console. The titles that YouTube has are usually the kind of games you play to pass the time or entertain yourself for the time being.
Some of the video games include classic franchise titles like Angry Birds Showdown, Daily Solitaire, The Daily Crossword, and Brain Out. You can turn the feature on if you want to play the games that the site can provide.
Once you do, you can find the games in the Explore tab of the app. You should try them out now while you still can since YouTube is still determining whether they will keep the feature or not. The notification also states that the games will only be available until available until March 28th, 2024.
It's not set in stone, but this is probably just an early warning in case the game aspect of the streaming site doesn't pan out the way it should. After all, Netflix is still trying to get their games to have more players than they do now.
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The State of the Gaming Industry
It's a brave venture for YouTube especially since even companies that are meant to develop games are having trouble right now. Several major developers like Epic Games, CD Projekt Red, Bungie, and EA are among those who have conducted job cuts.
International Game Developers Association Executive Director Dr. Jakin Vela said: "Paired with tight economic conditions, the impact of layoffs has been amplified by reduced hiring and increased job competition," as per Polygon.
On the bright side, other companies have proven to be resilient, particularly non-gaming companies like Meta and Netflix who continue to offer games and develop their titles. Netflix now has 77 mobile games and Meta continues to work on Horizon Worlds.
If all goes well with YouTube Playables, the streaming service might continue to offer them beyond the said date. Some titles might even be made available to non-paying users, or add more titles for Premium users.
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