Discord Update: Incorporating Games and Applications within the Chat Platform

Discord, the famous communication platform have been expanding in many areas beyond gaming. Many updates have been made from time to time, such as the past December Discord update with several feature upgrades to enhance users’ mobile experience. This latest Discord update focuses the target audience on developers, where the platform is set to enable developers to construct fresh games and applications accessible directly within its chat application.

Discord have been experimenting with embedding apps and games directly in chats for a while, via the Activities feature. While Discord users have had access to a range of mini-games and apps for some time, beginning March 18th, all Discord developers will receive access to an innovative Embedded App SDK.

Discord Update on Activities Feature

Discord’s Activities feature allows users to showcase their current activity or status within the platform. Users can choose from a variety of activities such as playing a specific game, watching a movie, listening to music, or even streaming content. This feature helps users connect with others who share similar interests and provides a way to express what they are currently doing in a fun and interactive manner.

we’re going to #gdc2024 on march 18-22! check out our schedule of cool events, talks, and exciting announcements about the discord developer platform at https://t.co/V1K8Np0UQt. pic.twitter.com/GLnsbRaFQN

— Discord (@discord) March 12, 2024

In this Discord update, Discord have leveraged their Activities feature to facilitate applications such as YouTube integration, promote quite some enjoyable mini-games like the ones in Minecraft; for example poker, and foster collaborative experiences such as shared whiteboards. These applications are presented within Discord as embedded iframes. However, access to these features has been restricted to a chosen few developers until now.

Discord Update on the Embedded App SPK

The Embedded App SDK (Software Development Kit) in Discord is a set of tools and resources provided to developers, enabling them to create new games and applications that can be integrated directly into the Discord chat platform. It allows developers to build interactive experiences that users can access and enjoy within Discord, expanding the range of activities available to users while they communicate with others.

In this Discord update, the Embedded App SPK will expand access to Discord’s Activities section to a broader range of developers, leading to an influx of new mini-games playable directly within Discord chats. Discord aims to become the ultimate platform for developers, offering opportunities to create, share, distribute, gain exposure, and monetise their creations. Discord envisions their platform as the starting point for apps, where they can find a community and easily spread among friends worldwide.

In addition, Discord are exploring a feature that enables users to incorporate apps into their accounts, allowing them to navigate seamlessly across servers. Developers will have the option to enable their apps for accounts, and this experiment will debut alongside the app SDK on March 18th.

Discord’s Bringing Back App Pitches

Discord are reintroducing their program for Discord app pitches in 2024, enabling developers to present their prototype app concepts and potentially obtain funding of up to $30,000. In the previous year, several AI utilities, an application tailored for artists, a coral reef camera app, and a mini-game about city-building were among the successful recipients of funding through this initiative.

Final Say

This Discord update came into the audience’s eyes just a few weeks following the announcement of a 17 percent reduction in their workforce, and now Discord are rolling out various enhancements geared towards developers. These improvements aim to boost user engagement and growth, with initiatives such as collaborating with game developers to offer themed avatars and profile effects.

In the meantime waiting for the arrival of March 18 which is just around the corner, you might want to check out more tech-related news such as the latest Samsung Galaxy A55 and A35 and ongoing AI news such as the case on Elon Musk suing OpenAI.