When the magical gaming tab first appeared on my Google+ bar I was excited. Dreams of a better social gaming world danced through my head. Finally, real competition was coming to social networks, and as my Economics professors in college used to say, “When companies compete, the customer wins.” Well, this customer was ready to win. I was primed to see what next-gen social gaming would be like.
All signs pointed to something auspicious. The slow roll out, “by invite only” launch, limited game content aided by the powerful precedent set in other areas of Google+ (like not allowing people to use false names) seemed to foreshadow something truly wonderful. I really thought that Google was going to show up in force, but like the scratching of a record in a Rob Reiner movie, my hopes came screeching to a halt. My Google gaming experience was nothing like the end of Sixteen Candles.
Still, I wanted to like it. I really did. I think of Google like people used to think of NASA – a gleaming beacon of energized super-geniuses that have nothing better to do than invent things to make my life better. Look, I like Facebook, it’s good for the games business overall and it’s really brought internet privacy issues front and center, which is great compared to the alternatives, but even I can come up with about a dozen things that Facebook could do way better. I just figured that all those frothing-at-the-brain types at Google would at least see the things I saw and hit that low hanging fruit. In the end, they didn’t even swing that high.
So in the spirit of helping put some lift under their wings, here’s a short list of what Google+ needs to beat Facebook at its own game.
Evolved Content
I think the number one shortcoming of Google+ is that it isn’t doing anything fundamentally different from Facebook on the gaming side. Yes, it’s a lot less annoying, and for that alone I think it could win over the vocal minority of Facebookers who are bothered by game notifications and posts. These people will love the serenity of not having their wall and notifications cluttered with the accomplishments, gifts, and invitations from friends who are playing the new, hot social game. As an additional bonus I even found that when kept in their place, these announcements actually became interesting to me again. When I’m on the gaming channel, that stream is relevant and I actually read it. Nice job, Google!
On the other hand, if you’re one of the vast hordes of Facebookers who loves to post your accomplishments, gift people, and finds this social outlet rewarding, this seemingly significant change… isn’t. Suddenly the number one feature of Google+ gaming -- the thing they really thought was going to get you to drop your 100+ friends and deal with the insanity that is closing a Facebook account -- goes >poof< and fades away.
Google came on strong in the beginning of “+”. They said that you had to use your real name and, like every neighborhood with a homeowners association, was headed down the path of ushering in a well-groomed, highly-regulated-for-your-protection, no nonsense, social network for grownups. But what we got is games that play exactly the same as Facebook. To be fair I’ve only played about a half dozen, but it was all the same.
"It’s a baby step in a time where successful companies, like Apple, are taking huge strides. The good news is that they didn’t blow it."
What I’m saying is that I’d like to see Google do somethingbetter with their game content. It only seems like good business to find a way to be different from your competition. Better gifting, better inviting, better notifications, all are possible when the rules aren’t set. A lot of functionality found in the viral aspects of Facebook games is a direct result of those games using the preexisting Facebook infrastructure. Google has the opportunity here to improve on the model, just like they did with search in the first place.
There are so many ways that Google could raise the bar here that it’s tough to pick one, but for Google+ to compete with Facebook in gaming they are going to have to figure out how to differentiate their experience and make their game content and user experience better.
Improved Player Discovery
This was the biggest surprise for me. Google+ seems to understand groups, cliques, and social circles in a new and exciting way. I can make circles all day long and put people in them and then just talk to those people – genius. And the way they let me invite people, it’s like the free love of Burning Man in a social network. But when I go to the gaming tab, that all seems to end. I’m not seeing an easy way to find other people like me. Here I am, wanting to play games, (I’m in the section) and wanting to be social (I’m on a social network), but I can’t easily find other people who like and play the same games I play. When I go to a gaming convention (I mean, when my friends tell me stories about going to the gaming conventions!) I walk into the freeplay room to narrow down the games I want to play, figure which ones have openings, then settle in for a couple of hours of gaming fun with complete strangers. It’s the best part of a game con like PAX Prime.
There is a very real opportunity to do the same on Google+. Google can bring gamers together in this setting – a “gaming huddle” if you will. I would love to see really easy ways of setting up player groups alongside the game. “Playing Edgeworld? Here’s a bunch of people that are too!” And stuff like that. Think of the possibilities! It would be the next level of social networking. When I played World of Warcraft I’d go on a raid with complete strangers followed by blocking the jerks and friending the cool people. Those I friended would end up being chat companions, helpers, collaborators and fun additions to my game experience. I never met them, don’t know where they live, and yet we came together to make each other’s games better. That’s social, and that is what I’d like to see from Google+.
A Push for HTML5
Given Google’s unapologetic approach to controlling their content I would love to see them take a stand and insist that all their gaming content be HTML5. A powerful move like that would singlehandedly help harmonize internet gaming and soften the platform wars. It’s not world peace but it’s a good, solid first step. It was never a good idea to allow a private party control over a dominant content platform on the internet and I’m really happy to see HTML5 all grown-up and ready to party.
With the fall of NASA and Steve Jobs stepping down, I think many of us are looking for a tech company to believe in – someone who can be a standard bearer for better living through technology. If Google used their immense power to elevate HTML5, people would take notice. It might even restore some credibility to that “Don’t Be Evil” company motto. Right now the fight to control your content platform is in full force and billion-dollar corporations are burning most of their money fighting to become that platform. If we could make HTML5 the de facto language of the internet, everyone could go back to pouring money into better content instead.
Conclusion
Overall, the quality of Google+ gaming isn’t bad. It’s just another Facebook… with fewer games… and fewer friends. It’s a baby step in a time where successful companies, like Apple, are taking huge strides. The good news is that they didn’t blow it. They have a good base to build on. And we can all agree that putting all the gaming stuff in its own stream is absolute genius.
The great news is that this is the ever-updated Internet, so get crackin’ you Google brainiacs. Put on your Devo hats and look boldly into the future. Know that if you break the molds and bring us better gaming and better socialization, we will follow you every step of the way.
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Source: Industrygamer
Posted in: Facebook,G+,Games,Google+
