Google has dipped its toe into the videogame pool, in a move that is making both the current leaders in next generation game platforms, Apple and Facebook, nervous.
Moreover, they should be sweating as Google moves forward in its efforts to move beyond the current sales cut of 30 percent which has become typical with Apple and Google.
Punit Soni, the product manager for Google+ Games stated in an interview that Google will begin by sharing 95 percent of its virtual goods revenues which are sold with the developers, therefore bringing in only 5 percent for itself.
That said, Soni also stated that this percentage may not continue forever, but that today’s pricing will be based on the new in-app payment platform from Google, which will charge only 5 percent for web-based micro-transactions, unlike the charges of 30 percent seen on Google Android.
Though it is not difficult to imagine why Facebook is anxious about this news, Apple is not immune to the pressure, as developers may seek to change the standard to something lower than its current percentage.
Soni also went on to say that Google is looking into allowing its games to be played from one platform to another, so that users will be able to play their games on their smartphones, for example, and then pick up and play from the same point on their other devices such as a tablet or a computer. He said that “There’s nothing to announce today, but it’s something we are looking at.”
