May 28, 2024 links

Link: YouTube's free games catalog 'Playables' rolls out to all users

YouTube’s “app store” for games is rolling out more broadly. The company announced on Tuesday that its collection of lightweight, free games dubbed “Playables” will soon start to appear in the YouTube app for all users, in addition to the YouTube Home page. Previously, the games had been made available to select users for testing before arriving for YouTube Premium subscribers last November. Because they don’t monetize as paid downloads or via in-app purchases, YouTube’s Playables don’t directly challenge the app store model or break Apple’s rules. However, they do compete with the App Store’s free games, which are often downloaded by casual gamers and generate revenue via ads. #

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