LinkedIn Expands Its Professional Toolbox with the Introduction of Online Games
LinkedIn has become an essential platform for many small businesses and large corporations looking to hire, as well as for individuals searching for jobs. The platform, owned by Microsoft, now aims to keep users engaged for longer periods by introducing a new feature: online games.
Enhancing the platform’s main role, which is to facilitate networking and career advancement for both employers and job seekers, seems challenging. LinkedIn, in a way, mirrors TikTok but focuses on a professional audience and lacks the video and dance content.
Despite attracting over a billion visitors, LinkedIn is now focusing on extending user engagement with the addition of online games.
A while back, employees would quickly hide their online gaming whenever their boss approached, considering it a necessary skill at work. But now, a leading professional networking site is encouraging them to introduce gaming into their workday.
Memories of hurriedly switching screens to hide games like Pingu-Throw or Angry Birds at work were once common. Now, the scenario has completely changed.
According to LinkedIn, playing games online is no longer seen as a distraction from work. Instead, playing games on LinkedIn could help improve a company’s profile by adding high scores to a collective effort.
It’s similar to celebrating Wordle wins that your manager encourages you to share, possibly even showcasing them on the site as part of the company’s success stories.
This idea was first brought to light by TechCrunch, which revealed LinkedIn’s entry into the puzzle game trend. The site reported that LinkedIn is getting ready to launch three games named “Queens,” “Inference,” and “Crossclimb.”
There wasn’t much success in finding out what these games entail, but it was mentioned that players’ scores would be linked to their workplaces, leading to company rankings based on these scores.
The days when quiz nights and bowling teams were celebrated as a company’s main social highlights are now behind us.
It’s not clear what LinkedIn hopes to gain by adding games for its users. The common goal of drawing in more advertisers and money by keeping users on the site longer doesn’t seem to match this move.
It also doesn’t appear to directly help increase the revenues of its parent company, Microsoft, which earns $7.1 billion from its gaming divisions like Xbox, Activision Blizzard, and ZeniMax.
However, considering that games are often among the most downloaded apps each year, LinkedIn likely sees a chance to boost its site visits by incorporating entertainment into its professional setting. Furthermore, the success of the New York Times with Wordle, which attracted more visitors to its site, is well-known worldwide.
“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,”
TechCrunch quoted details from an email where a representative from LinkedIn confirmed the new feature..”Stay tuned for more!”
Besides removing the danger of getting caught playing forbidden games during work hours, the upcoming features on LinkedIn will provide another benefit for both companies and their employees. Unlike TikTok users, those deeply involved with this platform won’t have to fear it being closed down for not following government directives to change ownership.
