Tencent-backed short video app Kuaishou launches mini game similar to WeChat’s offering
- Tencent-backed Kuaishou launches first app game called “Jumping Ball” – looks similar to WeChat title from a year ago
Kuaishou, one of China’s hottest video-sharing and live-streaming apps, has introduced a new feature allowing users to play games inside the app without having to download them separately, highlighting the race among Chinese tech start-ups to become all-in-one entertainment platforms.
The gaming feature was reported by some mainland-based Kuaishou users this week after they found a casual title called Tiao Tiao Qiu, which roughly translates as “Jumping Ball”. The in-app game allows users to swipe their finger across the screen to keep a ball hopping on platforms in a twisted row, and collect points for each successful jump. Players can share their scores with their friends on Kuaishou.
So far Tiao Tiao Qiu is the only game available inside Tencent-backed Kuaishou. But the app’s new gaming section features several stand-alone apps the Beijing-based company launched earlier this year. They include a 3D card game and a gaming platform hosting dozens of puzzle and casual titles.
A Beijing-based spokeswoman for Kuaishou declined to comment on the gaming feature, which appears to be under testing for selected users.
In December last year WeChat launched its “mini game” function within the app, and among the most popular offerings was a platform-jumping game similar to Kuaishou’s Tiao Tiao Qiu.
Founded in 2011, Kuaishou allows users to create short videos or live-stream themselves doing anything from playing pranks to showing off knife-spinning skills. With about 130 million daily active users, Kuaishou typically targets youth in small Chinese towns outside major urban areas. It has also gained fans in overseas markets like Vietnam and Turkey. Its arch-rival is Douyin, a short video app offered by Beijing-based Bytedance.
Additional reporting by Meng Jing