During its keynote this morning at Google I/O, Google finally officially announced its gaming platform. The service is called “Google Play Game Services” and allows users to easily play games with friends and family, as well as compete with the public via leaderboards. Google originally announced a plethora of games that would be compatible with the platform, including hits such as World of Goo and Osmos, but shortly after those were announced, one of the biggest mobile gaming companies in the world announced that several of its games would soon be launching with Google Play Game Service capabilities.
Gameloft sent out a press release following Google’s I/O keynote announcing that three of its games have or will be updated with the gaming capabilities from Google. Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour, a popular first-person shooter for Android, has already been updated with the new Game Services features. An update for the original app is available now via the Play Store. Dragon Hunter 4 and popular racing game Asphalt 7: Heat will also be updated with the improved gaming capabilities in the coming weeks.
“Working closely with Google, we have leveraged these new tools to enhance the game experience for our millions of Android players,” says Gameloft’s Vice President of Publishing for the Americas, Baudouin Corman. “The new Google Play game services give players more options to connect with their friends and share their gaming experiences. We’re thrilled to be part of the launch.”
For those of you lucky people at Google I/O this year, you can get a sneak peek of the new Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour and Asphalt 7: Heat apps at Gameloft’s kiosk on the show floor.
Google Play Game Services seems like the perfect tool for avid mobile gamers. The platform will allow for users to be more social and competitive with their games, which as we all know, social is one of the biggest features for gamers. Real-time multiplayer will really be useful for games such as Asphalt 7, in which you could race your friends in real-time. Cloud Save will also allow gamers to save their progress in a game and pick it up on another device, including your tablet.
What do you think of Google Play Game Services? Let us know down in the comments!