Messenger Games Get Support for Live Streaming and Video Chats
Facebook is adding two new features to Instant Games that will keep users more engaged.
The company is launching live streaming, which will start to roll out today, to gamers who love to share their playthroughs and engage in a little smack talk. This is how to get started: while playing a game, tap the camera icon located in the upper right corner of the game. Once selected, you can choose the audience you want to broadcast to and add a short description to say something about your video. To start recording, press the "Start Live Video" button. Once the broadcast ends the video will be published to your Page or profile. You can remove the video post at any time, just like any other post.
Facebook will begin a test soon that will enable people to play games with each other while video chatting. When this feature is introduced early next year, Words With Friends from Zynga will be the first game to use it and allow friends to watch each others reactions as they run up the score.
In addition, a handful of new games coming soon on the Instant Games platform.
Launching globally in early 2018 is Angry Birds, a new game built for Messenger that will feature classic gameplay with an new way to challenge friends. Angry Birds will join the recently launched Tetris, which features like marathon mode and the ability to play with friends in Messenger group chats. Both games are built by CoolGames.
In the coming weeks and months, Facebook will have even more games launching on Messenger:
- Sonic Jump from SEGA, developed by SEGA HARDlight, will introduce a new, arcade style adventure to Messenger, featuring classic Sonic enemies, power-ups and traps as players challenge friends to see who can jump the farthest. Sonic Jump is rolling out now in select regions and will launch globally in the coming weeks.
- Disney Tsum Tsum, published by LINE and launching in 2018, will bring Disney characters to Messenger as players collect, connect and pop Tsum Tsum based on the popular Disney Tsum Tsum plushes.
- GungHo Online Entertainment, Inc., makers of the hit game Puzzle & Dragons, will launch a new casual puzzle game for both existing Puzzle & Dragons fans and new players.