Could YouTube Eventually Be a Video Game Platform?

Back when I was a kid, you could play games on your console of choice or a PC. That was it. Not a lot of options were available back then. I remember the first time I ever played Snake on a cellphone, years later. However, nowadays? You can play games on anything, if you try hard enough. Soon, you might possibly be able to play games directly from your favorite video platform, YouTube.

With Google’s unfortunate failure of the cloud-based Stadia and a drop in advertising from companies, they’re looking more directly within their own programs to see if gaming is plausible. The new feature is reportedly called “Playables”.

Playables, allegedly, would be accessible directly through YouTube’s website, as well as on the mobile apps through iOS and Android. The Wall Street Journal got access to an email about Playables that was sent to Google employees, calling for playtesters.

One option for playtesting was a simple game called Stack Bounce. Stack Bounce is an arcade game not unlike the classic games Breakout or Arkanoid. You break bricks with a ball. It’s exactly what it sounds like. But, the point isn’t to be fancy. The point is to allow games to be played directly through the video service.

I was a playtester for Stadia, long before we knew that Stadia was going to be a thing. Playtesters were treated to trying out Assassin’s Creed Odyssey on PC through “Project Stream”, using a cloud-based software. We were offered an optional survey to report our thoughts and findings.

Image: Google / Project Stream

At the very end, they gifted us a real copy of Odyssey for Ubisoft’s Connect shop on PC. It was nice and pleasant, to be perfectly honest. Sometime later, Stadia was announced.

It’s easy to make comparisons to Google’s Stadia software for those that don’t know. But, I see this more akin to Twitch’s Prime Gaming. For those with Amazon Prime subscriptions, you get a slew of add-ons and items for various games each month. However, near the bottom, there are also new monthly games that you can get for “free” (as long as you’re subscribed) and can be downloaded/played via Twitch’s platform.

Seeing as YouTube views itself as Twitch’s main competitor, as it should, this move is likely a stepping stone to bigger and better things. YouTube has grown to more than just normal videos over the years. Their live streaming options are a solid answer to Twitch’s version, for instance.

But, they’ve gone even more beyond that with virtual reality-capable videos, allowing viewers to see videos in full 360-degree motion. And, with the slow rise of interactable videos, such as Markiplier’s 2022 YouTube Original “In Space With Markiplier”, the possibilities of interaction are endless.

When reached out to by The Wall Street Journal, a company spokesperson replied with a simple acknowledgement. “Gaming has long been a focus at YouTube,” the statement read. “We’re always experimenting with new features, but have nothing to announce right now.”

Only time will tell. But, it seems that YouTube is looking to add to their list of entertainment options on the platform, in any case.

Speaking of gaming platforms, did you hear that Microsoft admitted that they lost the console war with Sony and Nintendo in court documents? We broke it down earlier this week.