WeChat Mini Games is open to third-party testing for the first time. You also have the opportunity to create another "Jump Jump"

Since the mini-game was officially launched on December 28, 2017, many people have been speculating when this capability will be open to third-party developers.

Recently, I learned that the WeChat Mini Program game category has officially been opened for testing, and the mini-games have also added two new capabilities: WeChat social relationship chain and virtual payment. WeChat also told 36Kr: "The specific support strategy will be announced in the next stage."

Mini games are open to third-party testing, which means that developers interested in mini games can launch their own mini games for WeChat users. However, mini games developed by third-party developers cannot be released to the public at present.

Specifically, developers can register a mini-program account on the WeChat public platform official website, apply for the "game" category, and develop and debug mini-games. (Special reminder: mini-games need to be newly registered, and registered mini-programs of other categories cannot be changed to the game category for the time being.) At the same time, in compliance with relevant national laws and regulations and platform rules, mini-games are open to all categories.

As one of the categories of mini programs, the access entrance of mini games is the same as that of mini programs. You can enter the mini games by searching the mini game name in the search box above the WeChat chat window, searching, and "Discover-Mini Programs", sharing with friends or group chats, or by pulling down from the top of the chat window and quickly switching to the menu bar.

Regarding the development standards and qualification requirements for mini games, WeChat Mini Games stated that domestic individuals and non-individuals (enterprises, individual businesses, governments, media, and other organizations) can register mini games.

Of course, there are also relevant national policy requirements. For example, when submitting a version for review, non-individual developers need to provide "Approval of Version Number from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television", "Record Information from the Ministry of Culture", "Computer Software Copyright Registration Certificate", and "Game Self-examination and Self-inspection Report"; individual developers need to provide "Computer Software Copyright Registration Certificate", "Game Self-examination and Self-inspection Report" and other qualifications.

When the mini-game was launched last year, the official introduced it as a category that can be played instantly without downloading and installing, with a simple experience. Users can play with friends on WeChat, such as PK, watching, etc.

What capabilities do mini games have for third parties? WeChat Mini Games said that as a category of mini programs, mini games are subject to all open rules and most capabilities of mini programs. At the same time, mini games have also added two new capabilities:

• The mini-game supports WeChat social relationship chain gameplay, such as WeChat friends or group PK, leaderboard competition, and onlookers.
• The Android version of the mini-game provides virtual payment capabilities (excluding mini-games developed by individual entities) and supports in-app purchases of props; the iOS version does not support this yet.
• In addition, the mini-game also provides underlying game development tools and game engines to help developers quickly get started developing a game.

WeChat revealed that by January 15, 2018, the cumulative number of users of mini games reached 310 million, with more than 100 million daily active users. During the Spring Festival, the number of people online at the same time in mini games reached 28 million per hour, among which "Jump Jump" ranked first in the "Most Popular Mini Games" ranking.

In the view of Sun Chunguang, product director of WeChat Games, the greater significance of the previous figure of 310 million is to educate WeChat users about mini-games, and the future user base of mini-games is nearly 1 billion WeChat users.