Google reportedly has bought the social networking game developers, Slide. Google has acquired companies amounted to USD 182 million to $ 228 million.
Slide is an established developer of games for social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. Slide developed games such as SuperPoke Pets, Top Fish, Range and SuperPocus SPP Academy of Magic.
Company founded by Max Levchin, co-founder of PayPal is considered to be successful in building community through social networking game. Google interested in buying the company after seeing high sales of virtual items in games.
Virtual items market in the United States in future years is estimated at USD1, 6 billion. So that the acquisition of the Slide is the right step to expand the business.
However, as reported by PCWorld, Friday (8/6/2010), the two companies both Google, and Slide was reluctant to comment on this acquisition.
If the acquisition happens, then it will become part of Google’s major effort to enter into the social-networking market. Previously, Google is also rumored to have invested in Zynga, the developer company’s popular games on Facebook, Farmville. In addition, Google also had talks with other gaming companies that focus on the games on social networks.
Google’s desire to demolish the social networking market has done since the beginning. Buzz Call it the Google service, a service that allows Gmail users to share status, photos and video. However, these services are considered less successful and not promising.
