Google+ code reveals intent to unleash Games and Google also plans to bring social gaming into the mix. Google has yet to officially announce Google+ Games and some telling lines of code in the Google+ source code that inadvertently removes the cat from the bag.It looks like Google has some big features planned for Google Games……………
Social gaming is undoubtedly one of the key success factors and revenue sources of Google+’s rival social network, Facebook. In a Reuters report, Kevin Ryan, a leading Internet entrepreneur and former Chief Executive of online advertising giant DoubleClick, claims that the world’s biggest social network is on course to generate $1 billion in revenue this year from social gaming, most of which would come from advertising and Facebook Credits. Zynga, the biggest social gaming developer on Facebook, disclosed that it alone generated $235 million in revenue during the first quarter of 2011, which suggests that the California-based game developer would likely hit $1 billion in revenue this year and this would not have been possible if it hadn’t been for Facebook. Zynga recently said:
“We generate substantially all of our revenue and players through the Facebook platform and expect to continue to do so for the foreseeable future.”
According to an Engadget report, deep within Google+’s source code are a few hints of services that we may see in the future, one of which is a gaming feature of sorts with a line of code that reads have sent you Game invites and more from Google Plus Games. This will come as no surprise to many, considering that Google was actively acquiring game developers like Slide and SocialDeck last year and has been recruiting for positions on a gaming team. Google+ Games could be the search giant’s take on Facebook Games and Apple’s Game Center, two of the biggest social gaming portals. Facebook has been a clear winner among the social networks in the social gaming sphere, it still lacks a centralized way to allow users to collaborate at gaming. While Google isn’t quite ready to talk about the gaming plans for its social network just yet, it doesn’t mean that ‘gaming’ is not on its radar. Katie Watson, senior manager of global communications and public affairs at Google, said:
“We don’t have any specific details to share on our plans around incorporating games into Google Plus. But, it’s important to keep in mind this is an ongoing project and this is just the beginning. We plan to add a lot of features and functionality to Google Plus over time. We’re just excited to get started.”
In an interview with Gamasutra, Kevin Chou, CEO of core-gamer focused developer Kabam, said:
“In terms of first impressions, I think what’s impressive is that Google has dealt products that connect multiple Google properties, and that has achieved, more or less, feature-parity with Facebook. It’s a very impressive feat, and I think Google has shown that they can build a high-quality product with a high-touch user interface, with design in mind.”
Needless to say, it’s not just Kabam that is interested in what Google+’s Circles has to offer. Jonathan Knight, SVP of Games RockYou, said:
“People who play games on social networks typically have groups of people they play games with, who don’t necessarily overlap with ‘true’ friends they see socially.”
And Arjun Sethi, CEO of Ravenwood Fair maker Lolapps, said:
“Google Plus is a great step for Google. It’s clear that they’ve built it from the ground up with the idea of improving communication with the social web in mind.”
