Chinese e-commerce giant launches its own mobile game service

Following the announcement of its intention to branch out into mobile gaming earlier this month, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has launched today its first batch of games on its Taobao Mobile marketplace app, as well as its messaging service Laiwang. Android users can now visit ‘Game Center’ on the updated Taobao Mobile app to download the single game available there or ‘Come Play’ on Laiwang to download another two games that have been rolled out by Alibaba. 

China’s biggest e-commerce company, Alibaba Group Holding, is moving into yet another territory: mobile games. The move is part of Alibaba’s efforts to make sure it can hold onto its shopping sites’ vast user base when more consumers access online services through mobile phones rather than PCs. For the first time, Alibaba made three games available through its Mobile Taobao shopping application and its Laiwang  smartphone messaging app. According to Alibaba, Mobile Taobao users who play mobile games through the app will have chance to win some points that can be redeemed for discounts when they use Alibaba’s online shopping services. Players can win those points depending on how well they do in the games.