Google+ Games sidebar rips another note from Facebook's playbook

Imitation is the finest form of flattery, but this is just getting ridiculous. Google has updated the home page of its Google+ social network with a sidebar that allows users to jump into the games they've played recently. In other words, Google+ has ripped Facebook once again. (But don't think you're off the hook either, Facebook.) Granted, this is a fundamental change.

But that still doesn't explain why, after months of Google+ Games existing, that these incremental changes are introduced to the platform. Of course, it's not as if Facebook had its "Apps" sidebar trademarked or patented, but these updates only serve to make it looks as if Google+ biting off of its number one competitor chunk by chunk. The comparisons are simply unavoidable.

However, the Google+ Games sidebar does have a one-up over its Facebook counterpart: You can actually remove it. We do have to admire Google+ for how it much it allows users to change about what's displayed. That said, getting the Games sidebar back after removing it--aside from those fleeting moments in which you can click "Undo"--is currently unknown. Commenters are also clamoring for more games, which is something Google is taking very seriously ... almost too seriously.
Google+ Games sidebar
As Google continues to rip pages from Facebooks' playbook (and Facebook does the same), it'll be interesting to see how the company takes advantage of its unique position. Google has the chance to change how a social games platform is done. But not if it continues to entertain this slap fight with the gorilla.

[Via The Next Web]

[Image Credit: Vermont Lasmarias]

Are you playing games on Google+ still? What do you think of the experience, and what can Google do to improve it?

Facebook: Google charges '5% because they don't have any users'

In my alley, them's fightin' words. The words came from the mouth of Facebook Director of Games Partnerships Sean Ryan during an event last week, Fortune reports. More specifically, Ryan is referring to the fact that Google takes just a 5 percent cut in revenues from developers with games hosted on its fresh Google+ social platform. Compare that to Facebook's whopping 30 percent through its Facebook Credits payment system, and you can see why Ryan would have such strong words for Google.

According to Fortune, Ryan likened Google's entry into the social games space to when McDonald's entered the premium coffee biz, where Starbucks has reigned supreme. (Fortune also cleverly points out that coffee has been huge for Mickey D's.) Google launched Google+ Games just last week with support from several major developers including Zynga, EA (and PopCap) and Wooga--three of the largest Facebook game developers today.

And Fortune reports that Google+ already has 25 million registered users, so it's growing rather quickly. Regardless, Google still has a ways to go in the face of Facebook's gargantuan 750 million-strong user base, not to mention a whopping 270 million monthly social gamers. If anything, it's simply amusing to see Facebook squirm ... at least just a little bit. Let's just wait and see if Google+ Games can turn those squirms into shivers.

[Image Credit: Content Crossroads]

Do you think Facebook's Sean Ryan was right in saying this? Do you think Google+ Games has a chance to compete with Facebook? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments