Tencent Is Developing A Social App Called M8

On August 2nd, Tencent is internally developing a social app called “M8”, created by the QQ team. It is positioned as a map-based virtual social product, targeting young people in the social networking field. This product may begin external testing in August.

This is Tencent‘s heavyweight social product developed again after a two-year hiatus. Between 2019 and 2021, Tencent tried nearly 10 social products in various fields, but none of them grew successfully. Since then, Tencent has not independently launched any social products until the creation of this new social app called “M8”.

In the past two years, while Tencent‘s social media platform has been relatively quiet, there have been tremendous changes in the domestic social product landscape. The focus of social interaction has gradually shifted from traditional social media to new forms centered around AI and metaverse.

As the dominant social media giant in China, Tencent will certainly not miss out on the social changes brought about by this wave of technological innovation. With the emergence of the “M8” app, it also signifies Tencent‘s return to the competition in the social arena. From what we can see now, this product is more aligned with the concept of metaverse, indicating that Tencent sees metaverse as a future direction for social development.

Through the test screenshots of the product, it is found that compared to previous products, M8 is more innovative in terms of design style and gameplay. In terms of login methods, M8 supports QQ login, phone number login, and WeChat login. After successful login, you will enter the map interface, similar to the once popular foreign map social product “Zenly”.

SEE ALSO: Insiders Debunk Rumors of Tencent’s Entry into the Real Estate Industry

On the map, users can view the location and status of friends, including their phone battery level, name, positioning, and duration of stay. They can also send messages and share interesting places or activities. Users on the map can make friends with acquaintances as well as chat with strangers on the map. In order to have more friends on the map, users can invite their friends to join through QQ, WeChat, and other invitation methods. This social gameplay on the map provides users with a relaxed and fun way to stay connected with their friends.

In addition to the “map” function, M8 also has a “square”. Inside the square, users with status information can be accommodated. Each user will transform into a virtual avatar. Users can add their current status information to the virtual avatar through the provided system emoticons or express their thoughts and ideas through text and images. The status information will be displayed above the virtual avatar’s head and can be used as a daily icebreaker topic between users.

M8 is more tailored towards young people in terms of gameplay, such as incorporating map-based social interactions that stimulate young people’s desire for making friends. It also introduces virtual avatars in the metaverse, giving the product a stronger sense of fashion and technology. This kind of experience has not been seen before in previous social products.