I would love to have been in the pitch meeting on this one.
LinkedIn has confirmed that that’s currently working on a new, in-app games element, which would enable LinkedIn users to take part in puzzle games in the app, with their scores then added to their company’s performance for competitive corporate rankings.
As you can see in this example, posted by app researcher Nima Owji, LinkedIn’s currently developing a new gaming platform in-stream, which would include achievements, streaks, rankings, etc.
LinkedIn’s working on three games, at present: “Queens”, “Crossclimb” and “Inference”.
As you can see in these examples, which LinkedIn provided to TechCrunch, the game UI will show you how many of your connections have also played, and where your company ranks, in order to encourage participation.
The games themselves, as noted, are simple, puzzle-type games, which may also be viewed as a way to prove your business’ intellectual superiority, and you can already imagine that some brands will use their LI games rank to pitch clients on their collective genius.
LinkedIn confirmed the project to TechCrunch, saying that:
“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.”
LinkedIn hasn’t shared any info on public testing, but it appears to be coming soon, with the UI looking pretty close to finished.
So does LinkedIn gaming make sense?
Look, it does seem a bit out of place, a bit random, and really, a fairly blatant effort to boost time spent in the app.
But also, it will probably work.
You can imagine that a lot of people will probably try out these puzzle games, and by adding competitive ranking, there will be employees who feel a dedication to their employer, and a compulsion to take part.
Though how exactly that ranking will work remains to be seen. If a business has one employee, for example, does that mean that whatever score that employee gets is what ranks, or is the score diluted based on the number of staff registered in the app?
However it works, it makes sense for LinkedIn to experiment with games, and while it may seem a little bit off-topic, it’ll also be another element that’ll help increase its current “record levels of engagement”.
But does it align with the platform’s broader mission to “connect the world’s professionals to economic opportunity”?
I mean, probably not, but so long as those engagement numbers go up, it’s all good. Right?
