Google Unveils Google Play Game Services

iOS players have long had their own multiplayer matching and achievement tracking service, GameCenter , but until this week, Android players have been out in the cold as far as a native system goes.

players have been out in the cold as far as a native system goes.  There are 3rd party systems such as Mobage and Gree, but these require users to sign up for separate accounts.  Well on May 15, that all changed when Google announced Google Play Game Services at their annual developer conference, Google I/O .

Like GameCenter , Google’s service will offer leader boards, achievements, cloud saving, and multiplayer matching and hosting.  Where Game Services differs however is in its cross-platform support.  Mobile Android gamers will be able to play with iOS and web based gamers, making the service all the more appealing to both developers and players alike.  In addition, the Google cloud service will also be cross-platform compatible, so for example, players will be able to start a game on an Android device and then continue it on an iOS device.

Of course another benefit for users of Google’s service is the use of Google+ accounts.  Players will no longer need to sign up for multiple 3rd party accounts to take advantage of these popular features.  Using a single Google+ account, a player will be able to seamlessly play on multiple devices across multiple games and share their progress, achievements, and interests with their Google+ circles.

Google+ Play Game Services is live, and the following games have already been updated or are working to include the service: Eternity Warriors 2 , World of Goo , Kingdom Rush ,, and Osmos .  Developers can find out more and download the SDK on the Google Developer site.

It remains to be seen how widely accepted this new service will be, especially on the iOS side, given that Apple’s GameCenter already has 150 million user accounts.  However, the cross-platform capabilities and Google+ account integration will no doubt be very appealing to both players and developers alike.

Finally, as a result of the launch of Google’s new service, Google+ Games will be shutting down on June 30 according to the Google+ Games support page.