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Forbes: Google Could Be Games Publisher
Posted by Stuart Houghton at 10:20 AM on September 10, 2008
Chris Morris of Forbes magazine thinks that Google should try its luck at publishing video games. The search engine behemoth has put some serious research time into advertising within games and certainly has the resources to acquire a developer or three.
As well as the rather ill-received virtual world Lively, the article points out that Google already has some technologies that could mix well with gaming. Google Earth could make a for an excellent flight sim (in fact, it already has) while streetview might be useful in a GTA-like game.
I'd love to see the Google brain trust attack a problem like enemy AI or random terrain generation. It's just a shame we will have to wade through adverts to get there.
Will Google Play Games? [Forbes]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Talleh
Posted 11:08 AM 10/9/08
Google can now also be...
Your email
Your browser
Watching your house
Kidnapping your family
Ransoming them for updated gmail code
Talleh
NeoAkira
Posted 11:04 AM 10/9/08
@Deft_One:
I thought they WERE following that rule.
NeoAkira
Deft_One
Posted 11:02 AM 10/9/08
Just as long as they actually start following their own golden rule:
Don't be evil.
Deft_One
Benjammn
Posted 10:53 AM 10/9/08
I don't know...they have resources, but not publishing resources per se. Although they could do all digital, and they certainly have enough servers to run an MMO of the real world (read: 6 billion people in Google Earth 0.o). I simply don't know if they can or want to do it.
Benjammn
Greenstuff-Alex
Posted 10:51 AM 10/9/08
Huh, totally read that as Furbies: Google.. God I hope they stay dead.
Greenstuff-Alex
CCCombobreaker
Posted 10:48 AM 10/9/08
I hate google so much.
CCCombobreaker
ShaggE
Posted 10:32 AM 10/9/08
Google would be a great developer of Seek & Find casual games.
ShaggE
phantomlink
Posted 10:31 AM 10/9/08
THere is nothing Google will not have accomplished very soon, it's only time until they do give games a shot
phantomlink
Shockadin
Posted 11:43 AM 10/9/08
@Greenstuff-Alex: i want a FURBY GIMME GIMME GIMME.
Oh, and google, such an invasion of privacy. Still, you lose ALL privacy just logging onto the internet. Finding someone's address is as easy as receiving an email from them. Google just makes it tons of easier.
But, logically speaking, it had to have been made. Where would the internet be without search engines? Google is just doing the best it can.
But still, what an invasion.
Shockadin
DarkWolf7
Posted 11:32 AM 10/9/08
@Deft_One: SSSShhhhhhh! THEY can SEE you TYPE!!
DarkWolf7
CockroachMan
Posted 11:23 AM 10/9/08
I don't see why google would do this.. yet..
CockroachMan
francoamerica
Posted 11:21 AM 10/9/08
finding porn on google is already a game.
francoamerica
elevenoverzero
Posted 11:59 AM 10/9/08
Streetview used in a GTA-style game? Really?
Google has the capabilities to publish but they probably wouldn't take a traditional approach to it. Not sure what they'd do though.
elevenoverzero
DHX
Posted 11:57 AM 10/9/08
No....
...Just No.
I can digest Microsoft taking over the world, but Google...
...No.
DHX
Terrorsaur.
Posted 1:05 PM 10/9/08
@francoamerica:
Man that made me laugh.
But having a gmail account makes me look for alternatives.
By me I mean prepubescent teens.
Shhh.
Haha.
Hmm. But all jokes aside, given the resources google has, what I would love to see is Google fund a struggling but creative developer.
Terrorsaur.
joeloliol
Posted 1:35 PM 10/9/08
@elevenoverzero:
could be an on-rails shooter! zombies in new york = 20 points. innocent teenage cheerleaders = -50 points
anyways, i would support google as a publisher, as long as they supported unique games, rather than games on par with facebook applications..
im talking like... Brutal Legend... type of games.
joeloliol
Essonse
Posted 1:34 PM 10/9/08
Google used to be sleek because they didn't get their hands dirty. Now it seems like they just hunt for horrible markets to enter (virtual worlds, browsers).
They would do better to facilitate the use of streetview and other services by developers for their own games. Google makes money, developers get a cool toy to work with, and everyone's happy.
Essonse
invadrzim
Posted 3:16 PM 10/9/08
Would be awesome if google started working on making games, not just publishing em.
if there's one thing the google folks know how to do is code, and code well
we would probably see a Crysis equivalent you could run on a phone from 2002 and have resources to spare
invadrzim
Mactheridon
Posted 3:14 PM 10/9/08
AAAAHHHHHHH
Google is taking over the WORLD!!!!
To the shelter!!!
(Plays batman scene change music)
Mactheridon
Garo
Posted 4:10 PM 10/9/08
Just wait till they release their new OS.
Microsoft RIP
Garo
siro
Posted 5:18 PM 10/9/08
Google could basically stem anything with their capital, and releasing games would be almost an obvious step. If I had to guess, I'd say through as streaming applications, beginning in 2010.
siro
gblock
Posted 6:10 AM 11/9/08
Good grief, where does all this crap come from? Next I'll be hearing that Google is going to enter the race to find a cure for the common cold because they hired someone who was seen sneezing in public.
gblock
wezelboy
Posted 7:21 AM 11/9/08
Hmmmm... I haven't tried Lively but Sketchup might have potential to be leveraged into game material.
wezelboy