Google is planning the release of a native Android app that will work the same way as Apple's Game Center, reports BusinessInsider.
Google's software will include a social "achievement" system, which gives people awards and trophies for doing certain things in games. It will also include a leaderboard which will rank players against their friends, our source told us.
Developers creating Android games use a variety of third-party solutions right now from other startups like OpenFeint, but Google is recognizing how important games were in making the iPhone popular, so it's making a native client, our source said.
It's unclear if the new app would be integrated with Google+ but it seems like a good possible solution to tie players together.
"They are starting to really understand all of the needs and wants to make a game really successful," an industry source told the site. "As recently as even a year ago, that really wasn't part of their institutional DNA, But I think they're getting there."
Because apple obviously invented online gaming and achievements.
Android is not copying apple here. In fact, it could be said that apple copied openfeint and the other apps with online multiplayer/stats when they created gameCenter.
I am sick of hearing apple fanboys saying that apple invented everything, that anybody who takes an idea that apple used is copying apple. I am not an android fanboy, either; I like both OS's.
This really isn't android copying apple. Sure apple had it on the iPhone first but who did they copy it from? It basically the same as the PS3 trophies which were copied from Xbox achievements... Apple didn't invent everything.
And we are sick hearing fAndroids saying that they had something first, while articles like this one proves the opposite. Now, if Apple wasn't first to do this, then who was? As we're talking right now, there's no other mobile OS that features anything similar to Game Center. And don't get childish by comparing PS3 and Xbox to iOS! In that context then, I can accuse of Android's and Windows 7's widgets being stolen from Mac OS X! Now, this wouldn't be fair for the fAndroids, whould it???