Google is in discussions with a number of leading online game producers to incorporate their offerings into its proposed social networking site, which is expected to try and take on Facebook.
Sources told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that the search giant is currently talking to Playdom, Electronic Arts’ Playfish and Zynga Game Network, a company in which it recently took a financial stake, to include social games in its forthcoming ‘Google Me’ site. The plans have yet to be finalised, however, and it is currently unclear when the vendor will launch the gaming options.
But the WSJ pointed out: "Game developers pay Facebook 30% of the earnings from virtual-good purchases in their games. Google already has an online payment mechanism called ‘Checkout’ that, in theory, it could use to collect payments for social games on its platform."
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