YouTube is the ultimate platform for watching videos, but soon it could become something more. The company is internally testing a new feature that will allow users to play video games, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
In an email that the media outlet has been able to read, Google is asking its employees to test this feature, which they have called “Playables.” It will be available on both mobile devices (iOS and Android) and the web browser.
The Wall Street Journal article details one game that could be included in the service: Stack Bounce, described as “an arcade game where players try to crush layers of bricks with a bouncing ball.” Yes, it’s essentially Breakout, one of the great classics from Atari created by none other than Steve Wozniak (we hope they have the rights).
This is not the first time that YouTube has ventured into the world of video games. The platform had a service called YouTube Gaming, which featured gameplay videos, analysis, and reviews of all kinds of video games. However, it ended up being discontinued due to “brand confusion” among users.
Google is also not new to this aspect, although the results of their last foray into the gaming industry were not very successful, to say the least. Earlier this year, the company permanently shut down the servers of Stadia, their cloud gaming platform that aimed to revolutionize the market but failed due to communication and marketing issues, among others.
Now, YouTube has the opportunity to take over from Stadia (rest in peace) and offer users a feature where they can play video games without having to leave the platform. The question remains: will they know how to manage it, or will it end up being another discarded product by Google?
Some of the links added in the article are part of affiliate campaigns and may represent benefits for Softonic.
