Something to look forward to: Instagram has been a thorn in Snapchat's side for quite some time - the social media service has copied many of Snap's most popular features, slowly chipping away at the latter's market share. Now, however, reports claim that Snapchat is adding a feature that Instagram will have a much harder time copying: a full gaming platform, set to arrive this fall.
It seems Snapchat is finally taking notice of Facebook's success with games. According to a report from The Information, the app will be receiving a full gaming platform.
Sources say the social media platform has already successfully reached out to one gaming publisher interested in developing titles for Snapchat. It's not clear what the nature of these games will be, but given the popularity of Facebook's more casual titles like FarmVille, it would make sense for Snap's partners to create similar content.
By implementing in-game microtransactions and in-app purchases, Snapchat could open up an entirely new, much-needed revenue stream.
A potential revenue bump aside, games could also merely serve to keep users hooked on Snapchat for extended periods of time. Furthermore, as The Information points out, adding games to the platform could also help Snapchat differentiate itself from competitor Instagram, which has slowly been chipping away at Snap's market share by copying many of the app's features.
As exciting as a Snapchat gaming platform might sound, this report is based on information from two anonymous sources, and a Snapchat spokesperson declined to comment on the matter. As such, take this news with a grain of salt.