MSN used to have it and MS Teams should have it too: the ability to play games in the chat. Now there’s a new platform that’s getting it and that’s no surprise considering the biggest topic on that platform: Discord. So it’s not about playing an entire Call of Duty within Discord, but about fun games to keep you busy while chatting. Moreover, Discord immediately opens itself up: developers can build new games and apps that can then be played in Discord.
Games while chatting
It has been the case for months that you can play small games on Discord, such as Sketchheads, but from March 18 a developer kit will be available that will allow all Discord developers to create these types of games. How cool would it be if a big hit was made that might even be released as a separate app? We’ve seen crazier things in the gaming industry. Discord said that many developers have indicated that they saw the ‘Activities’ (where those apps and games are located) and were itching to develop games and applications for the chat platform themselves.
Discord late know: “You may be wondering, “What is the Embedded App SDK?” Simply put, the Embedded App SDK lets you build apps embedded in an iframe within Discord, i.e. the Activities you know and love today. Long story short, Discord developers like you are creating amazing Apps on Discord, whether they help with your conversations, or rich interactive experiences that you and your friends can play directly within Discord.”
Fired from Discord
From March 18, developers can start building new games themselves that can then be played directly in Discord. This not only concerns games, but also other applications, such as a whiteboard for drawing out ideas. Discord does say that it should be possible for developers to earn money with their work, so it is expected that not all of those games will be free. However, it could also be that Discord is referring to its app pitches, where developers can share their app ideas and money is made available if Discord thinks it’s a good idea: $30,000 has been allocated for this.
It all sounds great, but all is not necessarily peace and quiet at Discord at the moment: a few weeks ago it was announced that 17 percent of Discord’s entire workforce is on the street. Perhaps Discord can attract more users with these new experiences and thus create more jobs, but this cheerfulness feels a bit bitter so soon after the reports about the layoffs. After all, the developers who still work there will also have extra work on their plates, so do they still have time to do extra projects? Let’s hope so, so that they have something extra to put their creativity and passion into, and hopefully come up with a game that people will absolutely love.
