Meta Allows Creators To Publish Instant Games Directly On Facebook

Meta has unveiled a new distribution model for Instant Games (IG) which enables developers to release their games directly to Facebook users, regardless of their games’ developmental stages.

“We are announcing that we will be creating a path for developers of Instant Games on Facebook to launch their games directly to people on Facebook, even if the game is in the early stages of development and historically would have been blocked by the Quality Guidelines,” Meta said in a blog post.

The tech giant also said that it plans to transform how games are distributed across its organic discovery channels.

Under this new process, the tech giant is introducing the Play Lab tier, offering an avenue for games that may not have previously met Quality Review standards to be launched on the platform. This enables them to garner users, gather feedback, and conduct experimentation.

Simultaneously, a new distribution tier, Play Tab, is being introduced for superior-quality and high-performing games. Meta said that instant games in the Play Tab tier will be featured across their organic discovery platforms and made available for promotional placements within editorial units.

Instant Games in the Play Lab tier will find their home on the Facebook Play platform but won’t be incorporated into Meta’s organic discovery or editorial spaces. However, Play Lab IGs will still have the opportunity to establish a game page and expand their player base through methods such as paid user acquisition, social discovery, and community building.

“We are excited about adopting a model that will help gamers on Facebook more easily discover and engage with the highest-quality games on our platform, while still allowing for a larger variety of games to be hosted on our platform and grow via social and paid discovery methods. Overall, we believe that these changes will create more opportunity for developer partners as play on Facebook continues to grow,” Meta said.

India’s gaming industry has witnessed a meteoric rise, boasting 568 Mn gamers in FY23. Yet, despite this burgeoning consumer base, the nation trails in game development globally. The reasons are multifaceted, encompassing inadequate infrastructure, constrained investment, and a limited talent reservoir.

Nonetheless, a cohort of developers is navigating these hurdles. Their primary struggle now pivots to visibility. An initiative aimed at these developers, particularly those in the nascent stages who lack the resources for marketing and customer acquisition, could prove pivotal.

Such support would not only enhance their exposure but also aid in cultivating a dedicated player community and honing their games for broader appeal.

While the Play Lab tier presents a platform for Indian developers, it might not offer the same revenue generation potential as its higher-quality counterparts.

Developers could encounter challenges in monetising their games within this segment. Additionally, as Play Lab becomes more accessible, it’s likely to attract a multitude of developers, both from India and abroad. This influx could lead to an oversaturated market, making it difficult for any single game to distinguish itself and capture audience attention.

For Meta, gaming emerged as a prominent factor driving year-over-year growth within ad revenue, closely following the online commerce and CPG vertical, Meta said in an earnings call. The gaming sector particularly thrived due to robust ad spending from advertisers in China targeting customers in other markets.

During the third quarter, the advertising revenue across Meta’s suite of apps, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, reached an impressive $33.6 Bn, marking a substantial 24% increase compared to the previous year.

Meanwhile, Facebook India Online Services, the Indian arm of global social media giant Meta, reported gross advertisement revenues of $2.2 Bn (INR 18,308 Cr) in FY23, up 13% year-on-year from $1.9 Bn (INR 16,189 Cr) in FY22.