Google+ adds games, takes on Facebook
updated 04:45 pm EDT, Thu August 11, 2011
Google Plus makes game support official
Google ended a string of leaks Thursday afternoon with official game support on Google+. The primarily Flash-based games come from majors in web games and some from Facebook, including Zynga titles like Zynga Poker as well as Rovio's Angry Birds and PopCap's Bejeweled Blitz. In a direct jab at Facebook's tendency to put all updates on the main news feed, Google added that games, their status updates, and their achievements would only show in a Games tab.
Games do need to be modified with a Games API to hook fully into the social network.
About 16 games will be available to start. Google is gradually rolling out support and will give users access over time.
Adding games is considered a vital step for Google as it tries to reduce Facebook's control of the social web. Although Facebook is at times reluctant to state it directly, games play a major role in Facebook's adoption. Zynga is considered virtually essential to its foundation through games like FarmVille, and its willingness to support Google+ is an indication it wants to reduce its dependency on one social site for its income.
