Google invests $100 million in Zynga, with plans to launch Google Games [Rumor]

Talk about Google's desire to get into the games business has been floating around for some time, and now a big, juicy rumor says the company is starting to invest big bucks in those plans -- dropping between $100-$200 million at Zynga's doorstep. TechCrunch, which initially published this rumor, says the purported deal has not been finalized yet, though part of it includes using FarmVille and other Zynga games as the foundation for Google Games.

    Not only will Zynga's games give Google Games a solid base of social games to build on, but it will also give Google the beginning of a true social graph as users log into Google to play the games. And I wouldn't be surprised to see PayPal being replaced with Google Checkout as the primary payment option. Zynga is supposedly PayPal's biggest single customer, and Google is always looking for ways to make Google Checkout relevant.

While Google might be spending boucoup bucks to form a partnership with Zynga, it's not immediately clear how this will affect 60 million+ devoted FarmVillers. The farming game is already on Facebook, FarmVille.com and Yahoo -- what could Google possibly bring to the table that would make people migrate to Google Games? Outside of turning more people into click-farming junkies and offering access to the game via iGoogle and Gmail, it's hard to imagine what Google's killer app will be. Then again, thinking about tending virtual crops on an Android phone makes things (a little) more interesting.

Google Plus will have social games, too, source code reveals

It looks like developers like Kabam and LOLapps might have been right in getting hyped about Google Plus. According to Engadget, Google is planning to integrate its now-nebulous Games platform into Google Plus. And it's all in the source code, baby.

When a tipster dug deep within the nascent service's--it just entered an exclusive beta test--source code, he found these words littered everywhere: "have sent you Game invites and more from Google+ Games..."

And then the code trails off into some alien language we can't bother trying to understand. But alas, Games and Google Plus will be one some day. Of course we already knew, thanks to a blatant job posting, that Google is serious about its games effort.

So, we still know just as much as we did before: Google Games is happening ... and that's about it so far. (Well, we also know that the games will be social, but that was a gimme, no?)

FarmVille creator Mark Pincus stalked by Russian stripper, er... former stripper

But they didn't meet in a strip club. Business Insider reports that Mark Pincus, CEO and founder of Zynga, filed for a restraining order against Vera Svenchina, an amateur filmmaker and former stripper from Russia. Seriously folks, you can't make this stuff up. According to Business Insider, Pincus filed for the restraining order in San Francisco court in Feb., claiming that Svenchina threatened his wife and children and even visited him personally in his home twice in one week.

Pincus cited several bizarre emails and voice mails across several days in February, in which Svenchina makes insane and offensive claims including Zynga was her Russian family's idea, Google's co-founders killed her father, that Pincus's children are "ugly babies" and that "I wish them all the worst." It was likely easier for the court to grant the restraining order in March after learning that Svenchina was put into a mental ward for 72 hours after she went to Mountain View Police Department in May 2010 to report that Google was sending messages to her brain, ordering her to kill herself.

Pincus claims to have met Svenchina when she was dating a friend of his, Business Insider reports. But a reader submitted a letter to the news website that appears to reveal that Pincus had agreed to invest in one of her independent films (she's a bit of an entrepreneur--just like Mark!). However, a glaring grammatical error towards the ends raises a red flag. Hey, it was only a matter of time before Pincus attracted a stalker--it's one of the few drawbacks of being a billionaire. And at least it's a more... exciting one than Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's recent "fan."

The Top 10 Free iOS and Android Games -- July 2011

The second glorious month of summer will soon come to close. After wiping that single tear from your cheek, remember that with a new month comes a list of (mostly) new free games to try on your Android or iOS device.

Look, we know you're putting off that summer reading (or helping the tikes with their book reports), until the last week in August. So, at least do it in style. Click each title to head over to its download page:

Top 10 Free iOS Games:

1. Stickman BMX Free
In this second outing by Traction Games, players must guide likely the most extreme-looking stick man, named simply Stickson, through 60 plus BMX courses filled with hidden paths. Players can pull off a litany of tricks, but with spike pits and Death himself awaiting your treads, expect to crash ... a lot.

2. Prize Claw
Long gone are the days of dropping $10 worth of quarters for that awesome Homer Simpson doll. Game Circus LLC brings the grab machine right into your iPhone, allowing you to collect over 60 prizes across a bunch of different grab machines. A grab machine that you can play sans quarters? Count us in.

Futura Head in a Jar
3. Nuts!
You can probably already guess what this gem is all about. Limbic Software puts you into the role of a bushy-tailed squirrel as it climbs trees in search of coins (not nuts...?). Climb as high as you can, avoiding obstacles like icy zones and power-ups like the fireball.

4.Doodle God
No, this is nothing like Doodle Jump, thank heaven. This game allows players to play out God's role in creation as you mold four basic elements together with your fingers into (almost) everything in existence. Along the way, you'll come across a litany of poignant or hilarious sayings and create over 100 advanced combinations.

5. Pokerist
Wha? Where's Zynga Poker? Anyway, this mobile poker simulator for Pokerist.com features standard and VIP tables with each player's face displayed. Alright, I'm not afraid to admit it: I'm terrible at poker. But hey, don't let that discourage you. Poker fans, why not give it a shot? It has Facebook Connect and in-game chat, too.

6.Futurama Head in a Jar
Fine, this (pictured above) isn't a full-blown game like the rest on this list, but it has avatar creation! While that's pretty much all it is, MTV Networks has made a game that lets you create heads in jars--just like in the show--and share them with their friends via Facebook. And who doesn't love Futurama? At least it's funnier than the Simpsons. (Flame away in the comments.)

7.Rollercoaster Builder Travel
Man, if Super Mario World was titled this literally, it would be "Man Jumps on Turtles." The game is about as bare-bones as the name, tasking players with creating roller coasters that will reach the end of the linear level unharmed, collecting as many coins as possible along the way--because roller coasters just got to have coins.

Zenonia 3
8.Texas Hold'em Poker Pro
(Another poker game? Ugh, what to say...) Oh, sorry. Well, this game allows players to invite new and old friends to their tables, send them gifts and chat with them using status bars. Oh, and it has Facebook Connect and integrated music options, too.

9. CataGugl
The successor to Smack that Gugl by Yann Le Coroller, this version has players catapulting the Gugl rather than smacking it, hence the name. The game also has voice acting and original music, as well as leader boards. Though, we're kinda lost on why Coroller didn't go with "Throw that Gugl"--would have been genius.

10. Zenonia 3
Legend of Zelda fans: This is your new ish for August. Released by Gamevil, Zenonia throws players into an isometric roleplaying action adventure spanning 136 quests and hundreds of maps. Players can choose from four unique classes, and go toe-to-toe with their friends in three player vs. player modes.

Top 10 Free Android Games:

1. Angry Birds
Again?! Seriously, no one can top these wingless birds? They need a slingshot to travel for Pete's sake! And I'm tired of this naming convention trend it started. If I see one more game titled using only a cute adjective and some type of woodland creature, I'll write angry letters! Watch yourselves.

2. Angry Birds Rio
... No words can express the rage.

Burn the Rope
3. Words with Friends Free
Well, at least it's an intellectual game. Run by Zynga since its acquisition of Newtoy (now Zynga with Friends), the game is a turn-based game of Scrabble with anyone around the world. Between that and the added chat features--but minus the ads--what else could you want in a word game?

4. Burn the Rope
This popular game (pictured above) by Big Blue Bubble pits you in the scorching-hot shoes as the most adorable flame we've ever seen. Your goal? Tilt your phone to keep the fire going on a series of increasingly more complex ropes and knots to score the most points. This'll put that gyroscope to good use.

5. Angry Birds Seasons
Look, I'm tired of this. You all know what Angry Birds is--it's the Mickey Mouse of mobile gaming. I'm not going to tell you anything you didn't already know about this game, so just go and play it already. We'll see you back here for winter break.

Drag Racing6. Drag Racing
Another returning champ that bumps up another spot, Creative Mobile's racing game allows players to drive and tune up over 50 cars ripped from the real world. Blast past players with nitrous online in a Veryon SS, or tune an Integra to perfection for the Pro League.

7. Blast Monkeys
These poor monkeys return (and hop up two spots) to be shot to their peril through a cannon in hopes of--what else?--bananas. Yobonja allows players to shoot Moki the monkey through a number of puzzles to grab all the bananas. And don't forget those hidden ones.

8.Fruit Slice
Wait ... that sounds familiar. Halfbrick, creator of Fruit Ninja, better be on the phone with somebody, because this game spared nothing in its source of inspiration. We're sure this one is appealing due to the lack of a price and all, but trust us: If slicing fruit for hours is your shtick, go with the real deal.

9. Aliens Invasion
In this side-scrolling shooter, players survive wave after wave of aliens that look strikingly similar to those in that famous 80s movie with Sigourney Weaver. iTreeGamer included 12 different guns to puts the intergalactic bugs down with, and three different difficulty levels.

10. Racing Moto
This DroidHen game (pictured right) is a take on the classic Spy Hunter style of racing games. Players control a biker that must avoid other vehicles as it passes them by tilting the phone and tapping the screen to accelerate. The game will take players through several environments as they boost their scores.

Google+ releases API to developers, more social games incoming

Google+ Games is cool with its no-nonsense interface and all, but the sad fact is that it only has 16 games. Compare that to the thousands of Facebook games out there, and it's clear that Google has to do something to compete with that selection. Enter the Google+ API, which was just recently released to developers, and could lead to a plethora of more Google+ Games.

The acronym API is short for Application Programming Interface, meaning it contains the tools for developers to create new applications within a given framework--in this case being Google+. Wired reports that Google will steadily release its developer API, meaning that it will be some time before it's feature-complete. And the features not yet included are, well, kinda vital.

For instance, at the moment developers can only create apps that publish read-only public posts. For instance, if a developer like Zynga released a new social game today on Google+ Games, your friends would not be able to interact with the News Feed posts you create. You all already likely know that this is essentially the bread and butter of Facebook games. It's how things get done in-game aside from directly requesting help from friends.

The reasoning for the omission? According to PC World, Google's Eric Chabot explains that this is because the company would rather improve Google+ over time, rather open up a "vacuum" with too many features at once. I'm not sure adding simple post-sharing interactivity would create a vacuum for the platform, but it's a first step nonetheless. What Google+ Games has to deal with more in its competition with Facebook's wide offering of games is scale. The bell rings on Round 2.

[Source: Google+ Platform Blog]

Do you think developers will flock to Google+ Games, even with a limited API at launch? Does Google+ Games have a chance against Facebook's Canvas platform for games? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments