With millions of people out of work or working from home and many turning to online games for entertainment, Facebook is moving to capitalize on the opportunity with Facebook Gaming.
The gaming sector already is worth some $160 billion, according to The New York Times.
“On Monday, the social media giant will launch a dedicated mobile app called Facebook Gaming worldwide, where people will be able to create and watch live gameplay,” CNBC reports.
“.The move sees Facebook taking on the likes of Amazon’s Twitch, Google’s YouTube and Microsoft’s Mixer.”
“It offers a similar experience to the Gaming tab on Facebook’s website, which lets users broadcast themselves or watch a streamer playing games instead,” CNBC adds.
“Investing in gaming in general has become a priority for us because we see gaming as a form of entertainment that really connects people,” said Fidji Simo, head of the Facebook app, who reports to the Silicon Valley company’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, told The New York Times. “It’s entertainment that’s not just a form of passive consumption but entertainment that is interactive and brings people together.”
CNBC reports that “Facebook Gaming will also feature a function called Go Live, which lets users livestream mobile games directly from their smartphone to Facebook. This precludes the need for dedicated third-party software and hardware which people usually require to broadcast themselves playing games on platforms like Twitch.”
