Google's Got Game

It's important, however, not to get carried away with ideas of what Google may do in this space. For a start, the failure of projects like Buzz, Wave and virtual world system Lively have shown that the company is relatively comfortable with trying out things which ultimately don't take off, and while the scale of its social gaming investments is significant, it shouldn't be assumed that this guarantees success. Google prides itself on being nimble, on a willingness to try out new ideas matched by an equal willingness to cut dead wood. This entry to the market will not match Microsoft's now-legendary willingness to throw good money after bad until the Xbox eventually became a success.

Moreover, whatever the company does is likely to be focused - and focused quite a long way away from the traditional gaming space. One widely circulated rumour this week has conflated Google's gaming ambitions with Sony's, suggesting a Sony Ericsson manufactured, PlayStation branded, Android powered phone handset is on the way. The idea that Sony would allow the PlayStation brand to be used on an Android device in this way - having refused Sony Ericsson permission to use the brand in the past - is fanciful, at best, especially with a PSP successor in the pipeline. Google's gaming engagement is exciting, but Android's position in its plans is unlikely to be as a challenger in the core gaming space.

One thing is certain. Google's entry to this space precipitates a true clash of the titans over social networking and social gaming. Facebook may be the obvious rival, but with Android being part of Google's focus, Apple also has an interest in this battle - and for Microsoft, which has done so well in the core gaming space only to utterly cede the casual, online space to new enemies, this may well be seen as a new front in the battle between Redmond and Mountain View. If this pans out as expected, gaming will be a key battleground on which the entire future of the Internet will be decided - and whichever way the chips fall, that's very good news for the developers and publishers who will provide the weapons and armour for this war.