Facebook Launches Gameroom, A Desktop Gaming Service

Facebook has launched Gameroom, a platform where people can play ported mobile games and Unity games without the distraction of their news feed. You can it now—if you feel so inclined. We've known Facebook would be launching a gaming platform since August, when the company announced a partnership with Unity.

"From shooter to strategy, builders to bingo, find your game in Gameroom, designed for PC gaming." 

Is this designed to compete with Steam? No, not for now. Gameroom is for people who play games on Facebook but don't want to have to log-in to launch League of Angels 2. In hindsight, Gameroom seems a natural development for the social media kingpin. Plenty of people lead their gaming lives exclusively through Facebook; my aunt is one of them.

Of course, if some killer exclusive shows up on Gameroom it could give the platform an edge. So, eventually—maybe—Gameroom will be the one rival that matters to Steam, considering every other desktop client only attracts people for a single title and then is hastily uninstalled when the game loses its luster.

But I just can't see Gameroom stealing anyone away from Steam anytime soon. Players are embedded in Valve's platform, with thousands of dollars invested in their s.

Then again, Facebook is banking on the future. And in the future, maybe there will only be Facebook.