Uber Planning to Add Mini Games to iPhone App to Play During a Ride

[MacRumors]

Uber appears to be planning to offer mini games that can be played within its iPhone app, according to hidden code in the app.

MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris discovered several references to the ability to load games in the latest version of the Uber app, released on Monday. One line of code says that the gaming feature will require an internet connection.

It is unclear when Uber plans to make the mini games available to the public, and there is no guarantee that the feature will launch. No further details are known at this time, beyond the new lines of code added to the app, so we cannot confirm if the games will be available for free or require in-app purchases.

By offering games in its iPhone app, Uber would provide passengers with a convenient way to stay entertained during a ride. Uber would be following in the footsteps of YouTube, which added some lightweight games to its iPhone app last month.

Article Link: Uber Planning to Add Mini Games to iPhone App to Play During a Ride

 

[nutmac]

Uber should just focus on offering better values. Lower cost or pay the drivers more fairly. If you have an excess engineering resource to make games, you have too many engineers.

 

[CasinoOwl]

Wait til they find out the phone can have lots of games and other distractions that don't need to be in their app.

 

[ThirteenXIII]

more boring Silicon Valley "innovations"

 

[frost_horizon]

Because there are no other apps on people’s smartphones during their ride? How they had come with such use case?

 

[HeavenDynamic]

I already have games on my phone. I don't need another app taking more storage than it needs to.

 

[8CoreWhore]

Do they contain ads?

 

[Shirasaki]

I get it, Uber wants another revenue stream. But entering into mobile gaming market is not the way to go. For starters, I can have a chat with the driver while on the way there. And, I have tons of games on my device already to distract me. Uber should stop this kind of crap and focus on paying drivers more.

 

[truthsteve]

Uber thanks you for paying the massive service fee so you can play subpar games on your iPhone

 

[project_2501]

#DotandBubble

 

[andrewxgx]

Do they contain ads?

yeah, thats my first question as well
they arent pushing games so you'll have fun or to kill some time, thats for sure.

 

[dominiongamma]

It’s an excuse to datamine customers

 

[FineWoven]

Ok but who are the people opening these apps like Netflix, YouTube and now Uber, and are like "Man if only I could play games instead of doing the completely unrelated thing I launched the app for in the first place!"

 

[Plutonius]

Skip the games and lower the cost of a ride.

 

[GrayFlannel]

​

One line of code says that the gaming feature will require an internet connection.

A couple coders are laughing and high-fiving each other about now.

 

[scorpio vega]

But literally I’m curious who Uber thinks cares about. In app games during rides.

 

[AlexJaye]

The constant need for distraction is really not healthy for modern society.

Corporations can only be expected to seize on it and profit in any form possible.

 

[now i see it]

The guys that admittedly created a very fine app for Uber need something to do now — so let’s create games!

 

[purplerainpurplerain]

Now you can play games while a Uber driver with fake passport drives you to a dark forest.

 

[Victor Mortimer]

Well that's stupid.

 

[minik]

Do they contain ads?

or looking at the user's location during gameplay.

 

[rorschach]

They’re a taxi dispatcher with an app. Not many ways to monetize that beyond what they already do, so this is what they’ve come up with.

 

[Thomas Davie]

if they offer in-car 10gbps with automatic double VPNs and allow users to torrent or access Onlyfans - then maybe it would be worthwhile.

Otherwise I’ve got Civ 6/DLCs.

Tom

 

[andrewxgx]

or looking at the user's location during gameplay.

during ride? of course they know your location lol

 

[orderoftheditch]

Ughh can tech companies stop with the games everywhere nonsense. YouTube, Netflix and now Uber offer these silly built-in games.
Please can we have leaner, lighter apps that focus on the core experience and not all of this cruft on the side.