Home | History | Annotate | Download | only in spotlight
      1 page.title=Developer Stories: Google Play Game Services
      2 walkthru=0
      3 header.hide=0
      4 
      5 @jd:body
      6 
      7 <p>One of the goals of <a href="https://developers.google.com/games/">Google
      8 Play game services</a> is to allow developers to focus on what theyre good at
      9 as game developers &mdash; creating great gaming experiences for their users, by
     10 building on top of what Google is good at: mobile and cloud services. Integral
     11 to that is an easy integration process, one that provides a whole host of
     12 features with little engineering work required.</p>
     13 
     14 <p>The gaming studios below understood the opportunity that Google Play game
     15 services unlocked, and are starting to see real results following their
     16 successful integrations. </p>
     17 
     18 <div style="margin-bottom:2em;"><!-- START STORY -->
     19 
     20 <h3>Concrete Software &mdash;  Straightforward, easy to implement</h3>
     21 
     22 <img alt="" class="screenshot thumbnail" style="-webkit-border-radius: 5px;
     23   -moz-border-radius: 5px;
     24   border-radius: 5px height:78px;
     25   width: 78px;
     26   float: left;
     27   margin: 12px 20px 9px 20px;"
     28   src="//lh6.ggpht.com/_UOay5HBxf077suKYzmikU2IbnYOJub3X0inz-LoUsVh4TX758BEyArjoR7owXijkAA=w124">
     29 
     30 <div style="list-style: none;height:100%;
     31   float: right;
     32   border-top: 1px solid #9C0;
     33   width: 220px;
     34   margin: 4px 20px;padding: .5em;">
     35   
     36   <h5>About the developer</h5> 
     37     <ul>
     38       <li><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Concrete%20Software%2C%20Inc.">Concrete Software</a>, 
     39       makers of <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.concretesoftware.pbachallenge_androidmarket&hl=en">PBA
     40       Bowling Challenge</a></li>
     41       <li>Added support for multiplayer, leaderboards and achievements through Google Play game
     42       services</li>
     43     </ul>
     44 
     45     <h5>Results</h5> 
     46     <ul>
     47       <li>Session lengths have increased more than 15%</li>
     48     </ul>
     49     
     50     <div style="padding:.5em 0 0 1em;">
     51       <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.concretesoftware.pbachallenge_androidmarket&hl=en">
     52        <img alt="Android app on Google Play" src="//developer.android.com/images/brand/en_generic_rgb_wo_45.png" />
     53       </a>
     54     </div>
     55 </div>
     56 
     57 <div style="line-height:1.4em;">
     58 <p style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:12px;">Concrete Software added several
     59 features from Google Play game services into one of their top titles,
     60 <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.concretesoftware.pbachallenge_androidmarket">PBA
     61 Bowling Challenge</a>, including support for multiplayer, leaderboards, and
     62 achievements.</p>
     63 
     64 <p>So far, their users have loved the new additions: average session length
     65 is up more than 15%. Keith Pichelman, CEO of Concrete Software, explains: </p>
     66 
     67 <p>"The Google Play game services were straightforward and easy to implement. We
     68 had been researching options for multiplayer services, so when Google Play game
     69 services came out, it was an easy decision for us. Not only were they easy to
     70 integrate, but the features have worked flawlessly. </p>
     71 
     72 <p>"PBA Bowling Challenge now has real-time multiplayer which our users instantly
     73 were thrilled with; you can see in the reviews how people immediately raved about
     74 the new game experience. </p>
     75 
     76 <p>"We also included achievements, leaderboards, and most recently cloud
     77 synchronization from the Google Play game services as well. Using the game
     78 services in PBA Bowling Challenge was a huge success, enough so that we are now
     79 going back to our other titles, adding the features to them as well."</p>
     80 </div>
     81 
     82 <div style="clear:both;margin-top:40px;width:auto;">
     83   
     84   <img src="{@docRoot}images/distribute/concrete-pbc-gpgames.jpg">
     85 
     86   <div style="width:600px;margin-top:0px;padding:0 90px;">
     87     <p class="image-caption"><span style="font-weight:500;">Session lengths up:</span>
     88     After adding support for multiplayer with Google Play game services, Concrete
     89     Software saw an increase in session lengths of more than 15% for PBA Bowling
     90     Challenge.</p>
     91   </div>
     92 </div>
     93 </div> <!-- END STORY -->
     94 
     95 <div style="margin:3em auto"><!-- START STORY -->
     96 
     97 <h3>Glu: Its a must-have for all titles</h3>
     98 
     99 <img alt="" class="screenshot thumbnail" style="-webkit-border-radius: 5px;
    100   -moz-border-radius: 5px;
    101   border-radius: 5px height:78px;
    102   width: 78px;
    103   float: left;
    104   margin: 12px 20px 30px 20px;"
    105   src="//lh4.ggpht.com/Q7mQJsdhulW4_s039R9aaRhQkGnyzLkhF00j5EnyhHOivijnyi7P7b5A8qG0xk1r-jQ=w124">
    106           
    107 <div style="list-style: none;height:100%;
    108   float: right;
    109   border-top: 1px solid #9C0;
    110   width: 220px;
    111   margin: 4px 20px;padding: .5em;">
    112 
    113   <h5>About the developer</h5> 
    114     <ul>
    115       <li><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Glu+Mobile">Glu
    116       Mobile</a>, creators of <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.glu.ewarriors2">Eternity
    117       Warriors 2</a></li>
    118       <li>Has already integrated 5 titles with Google Play game services</li>
    119     </ul>
    120 
    121   <h5>Results</h5> 
    122     <ul>
    123       <li>In Eternity Warriors 2, 7-day user retention is up 40%</li>
    124       <li>20% increase in play sessions per day as well</li>
    125     </ul>
    126 
    127     <div style="padding:.5em 0 0 1em;">
    128       <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.glu.ewarriors2">
    129         <img alt="Android app on Google Play" src="//developer.android.com/images/brand/en_generic_rgb_wo_45.png" />
    130       </a>
    131     </div>
    132 </div>
    133 
    134 <div style="line-height:1.4em;">
    135 <p style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:12px;">Glu was one of the first developers
    136 to integrate Google Play game services, with
    137 <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.glu.ewarriors2">Eternity
    138 Warriors 2</a>. Based on this first success, Glu has integrated game services
    139 into several more games, including Samurai vs. Zombies 2, Frontline Commando:
    140 D-Day, Contract Killer 2, and Zombies Ate My Friends.</p>
    141 
    142 <p>Already supported in Eternity Warriors 2, theyve seen a 40% increase in 7-day
    143 user retention and a 20% increase in play sessions per day. Sourabh Ahuja, Glu's
    144 Vice President of Android Development, explains:</p>
    145 
    146 <p>Multiplayer, leaderboards, achievements &mdash; these are all things that we
    147 had to build individually for our titles. The availability of these features in
    148 Google Play game services helps us make our games stickier, and its awesome that
    149 it comes directly from Google. </p>
    150 
    151 <p>"Its flexible enough that we were able to make it interoperable with our
    152 in-house systems. We look forward to utilizing game services extensively across
    153 our portfolio."</p>
    154 </div>
    155 
    156 <div style="clear:both;margin-top:40px;width:auto;">
    157 
    158   <img src="{@docRoot}images/distribute/glu-ew-gpgames.jpg"></a>
    159 
    160   <div style="width:600px;margin-top:0px;padding:0 90px;">
    161     <p class="image-caption"><span style="font-weight:500;">User retention up:</span>
    162     Glu saw a 40% increase in 7-day user retention for Eternity Warriors 2 after
    163     integrating with Google Play game services.</p>
    164   </div>
    165 </div>
    166 </div> <!-- END STORY -->
    167 
    168 
    169 <div style="margin-bottom:2em;"><!-- START STORY -->
    170 
    171 <h3>Vector-Unit: An awesome multiplayer experience</h3>
    172 
    173 <img alt="" class="screenshot thumbnail" style="-webkit-border-radius: 5px;
    174   -moz-border-radius: 5px;
    175   border-radius: 5px height:78px;
    176   width: 78px;
    177   float: left;
    178   margin: 12px 20px 9px 20px;" src=
    179   "https://lh3.ggpht.com/dTUrKLffqXHJtPuIlp8fjDhROuzrTcpidbNFprugR65hMrPLX7Omd8SGop0xMXXKzcw=w124">
    180   
    181 <div style="list-style: none;height:100%;
    182   float: right;
    183   border-top: 1px solid #9C0;
    184   width: 220px;
    185   margin: 4px 20px;padding: .5em;">
    186   
    187   <h5>About the developer</h5> 
    188     <ul>
    189       <li><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Vector+Unit">Vector
    190       Unit</a>, creators of <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vectorunit.red">Riptide
    191       GP2</a></li>
    192       <li>Added multiplayer to Riptide GP2 through Google Play game services </li>
    193     </ul>
    194 
    195   <h5>Results</h5> 
    196     <ul>
    197       <li>With an easy multiplayer solution, they were able to focus on the
    198       gameplay</li>
    199       <li>Early reviews of Riptide GP2 called multiplayer one of the sweetest
    200       cherries on top!</li>
    201     </ul>
    202 
    203   <div style="padding:.5em 0 0 1em;">
    204     <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vectorunit.red">
    205       <img alt="Android app on Google Play" src="//developer.android.com/images/brand/en_generic_rgb_wo_45.png" />
    206     </a>
    207   </div>
    208 </div>
    209 
    210 <div style="line-height:1.4em;">
    211 <p style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:12px;">Vector Unit just launched their
    212 latest title, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vectorunit.red">Riptide
    213 GP2</a>, with Google Play game services integration, and it has one of the strongest
    214 integrations of multiplayer yet. Early reviews call multiplayer one of the sweetest
    215 cherries on top!.</p>
    216 
    217 <p>Ralf Knoesel, CTO of Vector Unit, tells more about how they've used Google Play game
    218 services:</p>
    219     
    220 <p>We wanted to provide a really compelling multiplayer experience for our users, and
    221 Google Play game services allowed us to do just that. With multiplayer, you can show off
    222 your skills and your custom-tuned hydro jet in 4-way online battles with friends and
    223 players around the world. </p>
    224 
    225 <p>"By providing an easy way to power this multiplayer experience, we were able to focus
    226 on making the gameplay come alive &mdash; like the stunts, which are more daring and
    227 slicker than ever (with more of them to master), or the realistic detail of the water
    228 splashing against the camera lens.</p>
    229 
    230 </div>
    231 
    232 <div style="clear:both;margin-top:40px;width:auto;">
    233   
    234   <img src="{@docRoot}images/distribute/vector-unit-rt-gpgames.jpg"></a>
    235 
    236   <div style="width:600px;margin-top:0px;padding:0 90px;">
    237     <p class="image-caption"><span style="font-weight:500;">Multiplayer and more:</span>
    238     Google Play game services helped Vector Unit pack an awesome multiplayer experience
    239     into Riptide GP 2, so they could focus on building a great gaming experience.</p>
    240   </div>
    241 </div>
    242 </div> <!-- END STORY -->
    243 
    244 
    245 
    246