Snapchat is experimenting with games

Estimated at $18 billion, the Snapchat messenger is trying out game formats. For Christmas, the developers have introduced a new filter that allows the user to play for himself in a dwarf costume.

Instant games are becoming an increasingly popular format among platforms. In September, Odnoklassniki introduced them into its mobile version on iOS and Android. In November, Facebook launched the gaming functionality in Messenger.

Snapchat, whose users view 10 billion videos a day, is also trying its hand at minimalistic HTML5 gaming projects. On Catholic Christmas, the service launched a new filter – Santa’s Helper.

Filters in Snapchat are called lenses. They are superimposed on the video selfie that the user takes. Lenses finish drawing a dog’s nose to the face or place a halo over the head.

Santa’s Helper goes further. It attaches the user’s face to the figure of a Christmas gnome and launches a game in which the gnome should avoid obstacles and collect gifts.

The social platform confirmed to TechCrunch that the game means the launch of a new gaming functionality in Snapchat.

Santa’s Helper game is not the first messenger gaming experience. In March, for example, the Kraft Mac sponsored filter was temporarily available & Cheese. His gameplay was based on catching virtual food with his mouth. In August, a full-fledged arcade game Serena Williams’ Match Point was launched on the platform as an advertisement for the Gatorade sports drink.

All game projects on Snapchat are temporary and focused on monetization, first of all, of the platform itself. At the same time, their very presence, as well as the level of performance, suggests that the appearance of a full-fledged gaming section in this social network is not excluded.

In 2017, Snapchat goes IPO. It is estimated that the market value of the company after the placement will be around $ 25 billion. In May, the company was valued at around $18 billion.

Sources: TechCrunch, Wall Street Journal