Xbox 720? PS4? Google?
With the gaming industry ever evolving, creating sequel after sequel, device after device, it was only a matter of time before Google got its hands into video games.
Behold! The World Wide Maze!
By installing Google Chrome onto your computer and mobile phone and pairing the devices to be in synch with each other, users can enter a special URL and surf their favorite webpage game board like a pinball in a maze. There you can collect gems and race around the maze with the simple tilt and twirl of your smartphone.
Amazed yet?
Google has gradually eased their way into several money making industries like social media, Internet marketing, online stores and video sharing since its inception as a search engine. There is no reason that Google would bypass a goldmine as huge as the gaming industry. Check out the skivvy on this $10.5 billion industry in this infographic - Google would be stupid not to get their hands in there.
Video games are the tip of the iceberg and the next prize industry to be won if Google advances on the idea. So what are the positives of Google dominating such an industry?
- No Console - Everyone has a computer/laptop and eventually televisions attached to their Blu-Ray players will have WIFI to access Google's World Wide Maze easily. Eliminating a $1000 console set up is not a bad idea at all.
- Gaming network - Game consoles can access the internet and take advantage of the social networks but Google is the internet. Having a game console and the Internet in one is not a new concept but it would be nice to see a little efficiency.
- A New Competitor with A LOT of $$ - Google has got the Benjamins to support their role in the video game arena and it would be nice to hear a new name mentioned to compete against Ubisoft or even Toshiba. Perhaps this could be the beginning of the everyday developer getting their digital foot in the door?
There is no telling which direction Google will go if they decide to take this on. For now we can only race a pinball over the interface of a web URL. Tomorrow, we might see the future of gaming and the setting sun of consoles.