Viber brings mobile games to its chat and messaging app globally

Chat and messaging app Viber is bringing games to the global masses today, two months after a limited launch that saw the initiative land in just a handful of countries around the world.

For Viber Games, the Cyprus-based company has partnered with a couple of well-known developers, Storm8 and Playtika, to introduce Viber-tailored games built using a new private API. This lets users sign in using their Viber ID and find what games their friends and contacts on Viber are playing, as well as challenge each other, share scores, compete on leaderboards, and generally interact with buddies. It’s another sign of messaging companies trying to tap into a mobile gaming market that could reach more than $30 billion in 2015, according to market researcher Newzoo.