There are no doubt 22 cool reasons why Buzzfeed, the leading purveyor of list-based online news, is forming its own games studio. But at number one, surely, is the need to stay a viral leap ahead of competitors by diversifying on its formula of time-sapping, easily consumable entertainment.
Of course, the site has been producing interactive content for a while, churning out those quizzes that popup on your Facebook wall, demanding to know which member of the He-Man: Masters of the Universe cast you think you are. Employing a small team of coders it has also created some slightly more complex interactive content, including the Game of Thrones name generator and a tattoo maker celebrating hit Netflix prison drama, Orange is the New Black.
But now the site, which reaches 150 million unique users a month, has grander ambitions. Reportedly, the company recently held a week-long brainstorming session for new interactive concepts, culminating in the release of its charming Dating Forecaster – effectively an online version of a Magic 8-Ball toy, beloved of pre-teen pyjama parties.
Speaking to TechCrunch, Buzzfeed’s vice president of product, Chris Johanesen, has mentioned that his plans are not just to “build a warehouse somewhere and fill it with 70 developers”. That is good as it sounds like some nightmarish scene from the next Saw movie.
Instead, the idea is to set up a modest development studio with its own flexible game design engine that can be applied to a variety of projects. This will allow designers to quickly produce games that respond to the fast moving online news agenda – or in other words, whatever crazy shit Miley Cyrus has pulled that week.
Buzzfeed is certainly not the only news source to be considering a greater emphasis on interactives. As media consumption evolves, most major outlets are looking into quizzes and games that can accompany traditional coverage. In 2013, the biggest story on the New York Times site was actually a quiz about local vernacular. Amazon, too, has its own games studio, with veteran developers like Clint Hocking (Far Cry) and Kim Swift (Portal).
Johanesen also clarified that the burgeoning studio was “not going to be creating Grand Theft Auto”. Which is a shame as that could generate some interesting editorial content of its own: “18 reasons why you just beat that guy to death and stole his car.”
But it looks as if we will be seeing a lot more playful content from the media giant, across all devices, on all social media platforms.
