Forbes: Google as a videogame publisher isn't as crazy as it sounds

Many of you will already know that Google has somewhat entered the gaming sector with Google Lively, an avatar based social interaction site targeted at Second Life players and through the acquisition of in-game ad firm Adscape. While it hasn't really done much with either as of yet, Forbes are speculating that Google as a video game publisher is within the realms of possibility and not as crazy as one might think.

quote:
"Given all the employees they have and the company's policy of encouraging side projects, I would be very surprised if there wasn't somebody in Google who's not approaching [gaming] as an opportunity," Sebastian says. "Of course, there are a number of hurdles that have to be cleared before it reaches the outside world."

It is, of course, entirely possible those hurdles will never be cleared in the publishing or development fields. But last week's release of the Chrome Web browser and upcoming plans to team with Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane to distribute a series of Web-based cartoon shorts show that Google is still very much in expansion mode.

There's no question the company wants a part of the $18 billion videogame industry. The real question is: What is it planning to do to get it?

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