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Mar 28, 2024
LinkedIn, primarily known as a platform for professional networking and the place to be for the latest industry insights is reportedly entering into a totally new area: gaming.
We know. We’re just as shocked as you are.
The company is apparently trying to boost the time users are spending on the platform by tapping into the puzzle obsession that made simple games like Wordle go viral.
So far LinkedIn is working on three games called ‘Queens’, ‘Inference’ and ‘Crossclimb’. App researcher Nima Owji has found code that points to the idea that they are currently experimenting with player scores being organised by places of work, meaning employee scores would determine how each company ranks overall in the leaderboard.
A spokesperson for LinkedIn has confirmed that the platform is currently working on gaming, but said there is no 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 added that the images shared by Nima Owji on X are not the latest versions of the games, with some updated looks provided below:
LinkedIn’s owner Microsoft is well known as a gaming giant. Its games sector includes Xbox, Activision Blizzard and ZeniMax – which brought in $7.1 billion in revenue last quarter. However, the LinkedIn spokesperson declined to reveal if and how Microsoft is involved in the gaming project.
Games are some of the most popular apps for phones and PCs, both in terms of engagement and revenue. Puzzle-based games are especially popular thanks to their casual format and the challenge they provide, encouraging players to improve their problem-solving skills, whilst still being able to relax and have a cup of tea at the same time.
Non-gaming platforms often tap into this as a way to boost their own traffic. Take Facebook’s Farmville for example, and the still popular Draw Something.
More recently in 2022, The New York Times acquired the viral Wordle game, which is now part of their larger platform of online puzzles developed by the newspaper.
Only time will tell if LinkedIn’s in-app games will be just as much of a success ?
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While a spokesperson for LinkedIn has confirmed that it is working on a gaming feature within the app, they haven’t yet confirmed a launch date.
Researcher Nima Owji identified code that suggests employee scores contribute to their company’s overall ranking in the leaderboard. However, this has not yet been officially confirmed, and there are no details as to how this will work.
For example, when an employee moves jobs, will their points transfer from their old company to their new one, or will points remain with the company they worked for at the time of playing?
So far it looks as though there will be three initial games launching on the app. These include Queens, Inference and Crossclimb.
Although it seems like a bizarre move to gamify a professional networking platform, the goal is to increase the amount of time spent on the app and increase engagement through new conversations among its one billion users.
It’s looking as though LinkedIn games will track daily streaks, meaning your streak number will increase by one for each day that you play the games. This helps to draw users in each day in order to maintain their streak, thus improving engagement. However, this is yet to be confirmed.
