A new report claims internet giant Google is holding talks with a number of gaming services in order to incorporate games into their new social network, which some analysts say could compete with Facebook.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that, according to “people familiar with the matter”, the company is discussing gaming with Playdom, recently acquired by Disney, along with Playfish and Zynga.
Chief executive Eric Schmidt told the WSJ that “you can expect a partnership with Zynga”.
Google reportedly pumped $US200 million into Zynga earlier this month. The company is the leader in social gaming, having produced the immensely popular FarmVille app, which gained notoriety on the Facebook platform.
Google is naturally heading into this scene to take advantage of the massive advertising potential, with millions of players now using these games every day.
The WSJ also reported that the social networking service would incorporate some aspects of Buzz, the company’s previous network, but the publications claims the new service will go “beyond” it.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
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