The speculation right now is that Google will eventually introduce some type of gaming tie in to Google+.
Do you think this is a 'make or break' feature for a social site?
Do you think that Facebook would be as big today if it had not introduced social gaming?
I personally hope that Google doesn't create a mirror image of Facebook. I do understand that companies learn by example. However, I don't thing Google+ needs 5000 stupid games mucking up the gears...just to try and capture a few million subscribers.
It’s not the first time mention of gaming support has been discovered within Google+, though previous indications of the incoming functionality have been buried within the code. As well as the logo, there were several APIs referred to such as “/_/games/getGameFriends”, “/_/games/getActivities” and “/_/games/postToStream”.
The exact nature of gaming on Google+ has not been detailed, though the search giant has confirmed that APIs will be available for third-party developers to hook into the network. Leaks suggested that Google was already in talks with some gaming companies, with a so-called “social gaming team” responsible for bringing popular titles onboard. However it’s also possible that Google+ could be used to pull in Android game results, turning the site into an online leaderboard of sorts.
Such an inclusion would be another strike against Facebook, which has made significant strides in monopolizing the social or “casual” gaming market with titles such as Farmville. Google is believed to have covertly invested between $100m and $200m in Farmville developer Zynga back in mid-2010.
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