Facebook is shuttering its internal R&D division, Creative Labs, launched nearly two years ago as an effort aimed at allowing the large company the ability to act more nimbly - and more like a startup.
Along with the closure of the group itself, Facebook is also pulling several of its under-performing apps, including photo-sharing app Slingshot , anonymous chat app Rooms , and collaborative video app Riff.
CNET was the first to report the news of the group's shutdown, with a spokesperson telling the site that elements of the shuttered apps had been incorporated into the main Facebook iOS and Android applications.
The problem with Facebook's Creative Labs' apps - like many new releases on today's app stores - is that it's hard to find an audience without promoting the apps in some way, such as via advertisements, paid user acquisition efforts, marketing efforts, or heavy media attention.