New Delhi: Microsoft-owned professional networking company LinkedIn is set to introduce gaming to its platform, as reported by TechCrunch. LinkedIn, which now has more than 1 billion users, aims to boost user engagement by tapping into the puzzle game craze. The company has made this move as mainstream internet and streaming platforms like Netflix are already embracing games on their platforms.
However, the company hasn't announced the official date yet.
The professional networking platform is reportedly working on a new gaming experience. Three early efforts are games called “Queens,” “Inference,” and “Crossclimb.”
Imagine companies hiring the people who do better at these games just to gain more scores in order to get to the top of the leaderboard. https://t.co/aRNAgKBSOX — Nima Owji (@nima_owji) March 16, 2024
A company spokesperson confirmed they are working on gaming, but there is no official launch date yet. “We're playing with adding puzzle-based games within the LinkedIn experience to unlock a bit of fun, deepen relationships, and hopefully spark the opportunity for conversations,” the spokesperson said in a statement. (Also Read: Telegram Introduces New Business Features To Enhance Communication With Customers)
App researcher Nima Owji also said that LinkedIn appears to be experimenting with gaming. However, LinkedIn did not comment on whether Microsoft is involved in the gaming project at the company.
Microsoft's gaming business — which includes Xbox and Activision Blizzard — registered $7.1 billion in revenue last quarter. The company completed the acquisition of gaming company Activision Blizzard on October 13, 2023.
In the last quarter, Xbox content and services revenue increased by 61 percent, driven by 55 points of net impact from the Activision acquisition.
Microsoft said the net impact from the Activision Blizzard acquisition was just over $2 billion in revenue. (Also Read: How To Transfer WhatsApp Chat Backup From Android To iPhone? Here's Step-By-Step Guide)
The company also laid off 1,900 workers in its gaming division in January this year — primarily affecting Activision Blizzard employees. (With inputs from IANS)