Pac-Man Sliding In Your DMs: FB's Messenger Gets Its Game On

Facebook Inc FB has rolled out a new feature that lets users play instant games on Facebook Messenger, another move by the social media giant to grow its sticky 1 billion user base during the holidays.

Specifics And Available Games

Beginning Tuesday, Facebook will roll out the new feature to 30 countries. The feature is available for newer iOS and Android operating systems. The games include PAC-MAN, Galaga, SPACE INVADERS, EverWing, TRACK & FIELD 100M and Words with Friends: Frenzy.

“We’ve made it very simple to start playing: In the latest version of the app, open a conversation with a friend (or friends!), tap on the game controller icon just below where you type your message, and choose a game to start playing right away,” Andrea Vaccari, Messenger's product manager wrote on a blog post.

According to Facebook, people in the conversation can see the score and challenge once the user finishes a round. Users can also discover games within the Messenger search field or on Facebook News Feed where they can play solo or challenge friends back in Messenger.

At last check, shares of Facebook were up 0.66 percent to $121.21.

Image Credit: By Diego Moya (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons