LinkedIn is breaking into the online gaming space in an attempt to increase the time users spend on the platform. According to TechCrunch, LinkedIn is following a wave of puzzle mania that has led to the viral success of games like Wordle. Nima Owji, an app researcher, stated that the social platform was experimenting with an idea to rank different companies based on their employee game scores. Some gaming titles that are being worked on include ‘Crossclimb’, ‘Inference’ and ‘Queens.’
Player Enhancements and Mirroring Trends
LinkedIn’s move mirrors a broader trend where different industries are trying to improve their user experience. For example, the iGaming industry has invented new ways of keeping players more engaged. Multiple gambling platforms, including new online casinos Canada, offer tech marvels like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and realistic graphics to provide a unique gambling experience.
These casinos also use player-focused enhancements, like convenient payment systems, to cater to players' diverse needs. By incorporating these features, platforms ensure players can focus more on the games and stay longer on the online casino sites.
LinkedIn and its Unique Strategies
LinkedIn has been trying new features to increase the interaction between its users and the platform over the years. To stay relevant, it incorporates the most popular tools people use, including:
- Online education and professional development
- Various video tools
- Publishing and news operations
All these efforts have borne fruit since LinkedIn has become the biggest social platform for professionals. Statistics by Demandsage showed that the platform had 1 billion global users as of 2023, with 12.5% of the world’s population using it to connect professionally.
LinkedIn’s owner, Microsoft, is a gaming giant that incorporates Xbox, ZeniMax and Activision Blizzard. With such a prominent gaming business from its owner, the LinkedIn project is expected to develop games that will completely revolutionize how people interact with the platform.
Gaming Apps Increasing with Mobile Phone Users
Games have become a predominant form of entertainment consumption, with gaming apps continuously increasing in popularity among mobile phone users. Business of Apps reported that 55.6 billion out of 148.2 billion apps downloaded in 2023 were gaming applications. In the same light, puzzle games have become popular, with Statista projecting the global market to grow by 9.05% between 2022 and 2027.
By considering these figures, non-gaming platforms have been using categories like puzzle-based games to boost their traffic. For example, the New York Times acquired a viral hit, Wordle, and included it in its ‘online puzzles and games’ section to create more traffic for its site.
As gaming soars in popularity, non-gaming platforms are using it to their advantage. With games like Wordle promising to increase user experiences, we are more likely to see more non-gaming companies integrating them.