“Playables” is a new feature in development for YouTube that could add interactive games to the video platform, The Wall Street Journal reports. The feature was apparently detailed in an email Google sent to its employees asking them to test it. Games could either be playable via the YouTube app on iOS and Android or through the browser on desktop.
The WSJ’s report only contains details on one game the service could include, Stack Bounce, which it describes as “an arcade game in which players attempt to smash layers of bricks with a bouncing ball.” It sounds a little bit like Atari classic Breakout to me, but it’s hard to tell without seeing screenshots.
In a statement, YouTube declined to confirm the existence of the initiative. “Gaming has long been a focus at YouTube,” spokesperson Alex McQuiston said. “We’re always experimenting with new features, but have nothing to announce right now.”
“We’re always experimenting with new features, but have nothing to announce right now”
YouTube already boasts a large library of gaming content that includes both livestreams and prerecorded videos. Google even attempted to spin this content out into its own app in 2015 with the launch of YouTube Gaming, but it was discontinued in 2019 after the company admitted it caused “a lot of brand confusion.”
Google has had several gaming initiatives over the years, but its track record is hit and miss. Android is host to a vibrant gaming ecosystem of titles that can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. But Stadia, Google’s high-profile attempt to tap into the burgeoning market for game streaming, floundered and was eventually discontinued a little over three years after it was launched.
When announcing Stadia’s shutdown, the service’s vice president and general manager, Phil Harrison, said that the company saw “clear opportunities to apply [Stadia’s] technology across other parts of Google like YouTube, Google Play, and our Augmented Reality (AR) efforts.”
It’s unclear exactly how YouTube plans to monetize Playables. But for a platform like YouTube, where attention is a key part of its success, it’s not hard to see the benefit interactive games could bring.
Update June 26th, 12:00PM ET: Updated with attributed YouTube statement.
