Game On: Facebook Brings Instant Games to its Messenger App
The new feature has initially been rolled out in 30 countries.
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Facebook on Tuesday added functionality of playing games such as Pac-Man with your friends using its messenger application. The feature will be available after the company rolls out a new update, which brings with it a game controller icon that can be tapped to play these games.
The list of games include classics such as "Pac-Man," ''Space Invaders" and "Galaga". The move is the latest attempt by the social networking giant to get users to spend more time on its messaging app.
In addition to Messenger, reports suggest users can soon play solo games in their Facebook news feed.
The new feature has initially been rolled out in 30 countries with 17 games and will be available on the latest versions of iOS and Android operating systems.
A user, in the midst of a conversation, can tap on a game controller icon to choose a game and start playing. The feature also allows a user to challenge their friends for a game.
Earlier in the year Facebook introduced simple Messenger games such as soccer and basketball to some users across the globe. Analysts say success of the move spurred Facebook on to roll out a full-fledged gaming option.
Facebook made Messenger a standalone app in 2014 which gained popularity after the company added a host of features to it. Facebook boasts of having more than one billion users for its messaging app, making it one of the top three apps in the world.
Its main Facebook app is the most popular, followed by Messenger and WhatsApp, the messaging service it bought in 2014.
Here is a list of the launch titles.
(With inputs from Facebook Newsroom, Reuters.)
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