Is Google Binning Its Google Play Games App?

The latest headline is that the Google Play Games app might be heading to the graveyard. For anyone not too familiar with what it is, it isn’t the main Google Play Store – your mom will still be able to update Candy Crush when she needs to.

The Google Play Games app is a lesser-known application that’s so lesser known that Google might be quietly phasing it out without most people knowing any difference.

Read on to learn why they’re planning to chuck it and what it means for gamers.

The Google Play Games App

The Google Play Games app is completely different from the Play Store. The Play Store is where you access absolutely everything (if your phone is Android-powered) – apps, games, music, movies, etc.

The Google Play Games app is a separate free application where Android users can play some games online on either a Windows PC or Chromebook. It does also extend to a small social network. Users can add friends, track their achievements, find new games, and share gameplay – similar to what you can do on the Xbox or PlayStation.

We’re not aware of the actual user numbers, but we can assume it’s low enough for Google to consider phasing it out. Popular games include Nerdle and Letter Boxed, but they’re nowhere near as popular as games on the Google Play Store, like Subway Surfers. Despite being released in 2012, the game is still the most popular in the app by downloads.

Is Google Sending it to the Bin?

Google hasn’t made an official announcement, but signs suggest it’s on the way out.

One of the features of the Google Play Games app we mentioned was the achievement tracker. Recently, Google has started to develop that feature directly into the Google Play Store. And there have been no recent updates to the interface or the features in the Games app, something they were regularly doing until recently.

Interestingly, there are also features like gamer profiles and the option to follow other users soon coming to the Google Play Store. Essentially, they’re introducing most of the features you’ll find on the Games app to the Play Store.

We expect that they’ll announce the closure of the Games app imminently.

What Would an Axing Mean for Gamers?

Well, it means they have to play games elsewhere. The Games app allows people to play on PCs, laptops, and handhelds like a Chromebook.

That sounds pretty flexible. But if it goes, that flexibility goes with it. Most of these cross-platform games would disappear or need a whole new setup. Imagine downloading a dozen different apps to get the same experience.

Google Play Games also helps with syncing progress. If you start a game on your phone, you can pick up where you left off on your laptop. That’s not something every mobile game can pull off without it.

Then there’s the social side. Sharing scores, beating your mates, and chasing leaderboard glory. That could disappear if they don’t replicate it properly in the main Play Store.

And the Games app wasn’t perfect. It lagged behind the competition. But for gamers who used it, especially casual players or Chromebook fans, its removal might leave a bit of a hole. It won’t be the end of gaming on Android. But it’s definitely a shake-up.

Google Play Games might be on the chopping block, but that doesn’t mean the idea is dead. It’s just getting a new coat of paint. One that fits better into Google’s minimalist empire.

For gamers, it’s a small loss with a big shift. If Google does this right, we’ll barely notice the transition. Either way, change is coming.

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