In the latest update, Facebook has launched ‘Instant Games’ on Messenger and Facebook News Feed for both mobile and web platforms starting Tuesday.
One can easily start playing a game by tapping on to the new game controller icon which would be visible only after you update your app. As of now, the social network giant has introduced 17 game titles including Pac-Man, Galaga, Space Invaders, Shuffle Cats Mini etc. Further, this new update is only being rolled out in 30 countries with other countries soon to join in. Also, the company didn’t reveal the list so we have to wait and see if India is the lucky one to get the update in the first phase of roll out. 
Facebook has partnered with developers like KONAMI, Zynga, King, Taito etc. to introduce the initial 17 titles. “We believe this new cross-platform gaming experience provides a new and unique discovery surface for our games and will delight and entertain our players around the world,” said Kimihiro Horiuchi, Head of Global Marketing at Konami Digital Entertainment.
Also, Instant Games only work with your Messenger contacts which mean you can’t play with people who are not in your Messenger contacts. Also, if you happen to have a lot of contacts but they aren’t into gaming then you are in for a bit of struggle as well.
Till some months back, Facebook was in limelite for its partnership with Zynga which introduced ‘FarmVille’ but later on the gaming aspect of the social network giant never worked. So this might be Facebook’s attempt to comeback in the field of social gaming both on mobile and desktop. Also, as Gadgets360 pointed out, Facebook might be monetizing Messenger with the addition of Instant Games feature.
Earlier this year, Facebook tested two simple yet addicting Messenger Soccer and Basketball games which needed users to flick soccer and basketballs on the screen with their fingers.
“The primary way that we expect people to be interacting with Instant Games is through Messenger, especially at first,” said Leo Olebe, director of global games partnerships at Facebook.