WeChat mini programs are Tencent’s silver lining as online gaming revenue slides

WeChat mini programs were a highlight for Tencent’s strategic initiatives in recent months as online gaming revenue slides, according to Tencent’s 2018 second-quarter earnings release.

According to Tencent, WeChat mini programs have reached 200 million daily active users and has a sizable developer ecosystem. Tencent views mini programs as complementary to mobile apps, as mini programs generate traffic and download for corresponding native mobile apps. Mini programs will contribute to the development of the company’s advertising and cloud business, according to the company.

Tencent first rolled out WeChat mini programs in early 2017, which allows users to use services from different companies on the WeChat platform without actually downloading the application from app stores. Mini programs are especially popular with transportation, retail, restaurant and gaming service providers.

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