Facebook improves analytics and login system, and streaming is here, too

Today, Facebook hosted the first day of its developers conference, F8, in San Francisco. As usual, the company made a variety of announcements -- some very concrete, others less so (CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who spearheaded the company's acquisition of Oculus VR, is now interested in augmented reality, too -- but made no announcements of initiatives or purchases.)

We've rounded up just the announcements which we think will matter specifically to game developers here, but the Facebook developer blog has a roundup of everything the company announced.

Account Kit

The company introduced a new, simpler sign-in system called "Account Kit" today, which allows third-party app developers to allow for Facebook logins simply with a phone number (and no password.) The company's research shows that this boosts sign-ups. 

Analytics improvements

Facebook has launched improvements to its analytics platform, which includes a variety of improved data streams and a beta version of an in-app/push notifications system, including "the option to create and customize richer push experiences with photos and animated GIFs."

App Dashboard

If you use Facebook's services in your mobile game, you'll find the company has upgraded its App Dashboard that is "simpler to navigate and use" and offers a better look at what parts of Facebook's tech you use and how it's working.

Streaming API 

This doesn't seem ready for game developers yet, but it's only a matter of time before it becomes available -- or integrated with a streaming platform like Twitch. Facebook has enabled video streaming, and now is rolling out its API. Developers can request access to it, though it's unclear who will get access first (Facebook seems to be prioritizing media organizations, but also says app developers can get involved.) If you're interested, it's probably worth signing up.