14 DAY TRIAL // Back in November last year, Facebook first announced a new Instant Games service, which was made available only to users of the app located in the US. Today, Facebook has revealed that Instant Games in Messenger can now be enjoyed globally.
Instant Games on Messenger allows users to play various games while on the go. The service’s main purpose is to provide users with ways to discover, share and play games, without the need to install separate applications.
The service is available in Facebook News Feed and Messenger and can be accessed using the game controller icon integrated below the box for typing a message.
Game bots and rich gameplay features
Aside from announcing the global release of Instant Games, Facebook also introduced rich gameplay features, like turn-based games and game bots, which will help game developers send out notifications with information like new levels and rewards.
Developers can also create dynamic and customizable gaming experiences for users, while also informing them when new options are added to the game. This will surely attract more users to games in Messenger and help re-engage players by calling out new options.
The first title to benefit from the rich gameplay feature is Zynga’s Words With Friends, while other developers will surely add features for regularly updating the leaderboards and incorporating tournaments in their games. Blackstorm’s EverWing is a Messenger hit and the first title to use Game bots and other new capabilities.
Facebook also expanded the selection of games and intends to add more titles each week. There are currently 50 games that can be accessed through Facebook’s service for Messenger, but their availability depends on the user’s device and location.
Facebook has announced that Instant Games on Messenger will roll out globally over the next few weeks, both on iOS and Android, which means that the over 1.2 billion people that use the application monthly will get the chance to play games without having to actually install them.