Google’s announced Chrome Web Store is essentially an open marketplace for web applications. Introduced at the 2010 Google I/O confference, the Chrome Web Store aims to make it easy for developers to package and release apps or games that can be launched through the Chrome browser. At the recent Future of Social Gaming Panel sponsored by Peanut Labs, Developer Advocate of Games at Google Mark Deloura had a chance to explain what it was and what it meant for social game developers. With 70 Million MAUs, will Google attract the large game developers currently basking in Facebook’s aura?
The Chrome Web Store simplifies app purchasing on the web, the way Apple has done on its devices with App store. Think of it like an Android app store but for web apps. Consumers can browse a variety of apps while viewing their ratings and reviews and purchase them with a single click, presumably with Google Checkout. What’s great is that the apps can run within the browser in a tab and be maximized to full screen view. This could prove attractive for many consumers that are looking for high quality experiences without wanting to download anything.
It might be a little known fact that the Chrome is becoming well suited for higher-quality gaming. Currently the browser supports C++, standard technologies like Javascript, WebGL, HTML5 and even 3D technologies will be native such as Open GL 3.0 and Unity. In fact, Unity will run in the browser without the requirement of a plug-in. Mark pleasantly demonstrated the power of Chrome by launching a few games with ease.
Developers, as we know them, are interested in monetization through simplified business models (one-click purchase) analogous to the kind available in app stores for Android and iPhone OS-enabled devices. Chrome’s Web Store is expected to launch in the fall of 2010 without in-app payments initially but post launch will have multi-currency support. With a massive user base of 70 million + users, developers could be interested in uploading their game to the Chrome Web Store, especially since the process will be very simple:
1. Create a web based game using your preferred technology
2. Create a wrapper with meta data included to publish on the store
3. Upload the app with required information
Jonathan Flesher of Zynga, when asked his opinion about Chrome Web Store stated, “It will be interesting to watch. We will support wherever the audience is.”
Audience is really what it comes down to for developers when picking which platforms to release their games on. Majority of social game developers continue to focus on Facebook as the premier platform of choice due to a high user base but companies like Viximo are looking to help developers expand their games to the ‘long tail’ of social networks – the smaller players like QuePasa that are significant in size and have more niche audiences. Atul Bagga of ThinkEquity Research believes that much growth this and next year will come outside of Facebook, which is interesting because a lot of the big MMOs and portals are integrating Facebook while indie developers on Facebook are looking to migrate to other places. If Google can position itself well, it could attract sufficient developers and eventually bridge the entire system with Android, creating a truly cross-platform experience, although it remains to be seen if the apps will have Facebook Connect functionality or other social integrations. Current games include Dark Room and Lego Star Wars and we encourage you all to check out what the Chrome Web Store has to offer.
