Facebook has shut down its Creative Labs arm, and with it the Slingshot, Riff and Rooms apps. The Creative Labs Facebook page is also dead.
On launch, Creative Labs was Facebook’s internal ‘move fast and break things’ continuum, where developers and designers could freely explore ideas and push them into the public space.
Speaking to CNET, a Facebook spokesperson said “Since their launches, we’ve incorporated elements of Slingshot, Riff and Rooms into the Facebook for iOS and Android apps,. We haven’t updated these apps in some time and we’ve decided to officially end support by removing them from the App Store and Google Play.”
It doesn’t mean the end of experimentation at Facebook, but could mean the company is streamlining its efforts. The move may also suggest Facebook is deciding to play nice; Rooms was almost a direct ripoff, and Slingshot could be confused for a Snapchat client.
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