Focusing our Google Play games services efforts

Posted By James Smith, Product Manager, Google Play



In order to help developers make great games and build their businesses, we
offer Google Play Games Services (GPGS). GPGS provides powerful tools to build, analyze and retain your audience and optimize your
game. After listening to developer feedback and examining usage, we have decided
to remove some of the features so we can focus on making our offering more
useful.




In December, we
announced the end of support for the creation of new iOS accounts given the
low usage of GPGS on iOS. Additionally, our latest Native SDK release (2.3) will
no longer support integration with iOS and going forward we will not be
supporting or updating the iOS SDK.




We've also examined the features that GPGS offers. While developers use
engagement and reporting tools extensively, there is lower usage for Gifts,
Requests, and Quests. We therefore plan to stop supporting Gifts, Requests, and Quests. In
order to help developers that do use these features plan for their removal, we will leave them open for 12 months, deactivating them by 31st March 2018. We'll
be continuing support for other features such as Sign-in, Achievements,
Leaderboards and Multiplayer.




Play games services remains an important part of the tools we provide
developers, and we're working hard on future GPGS updates. We continue to be
strongly committed to providing high quality services for Games, including new
tools such as official
Firebase support for Unity and C++ developers, and integration
with Firebase Analytics. These changes allow us to focus our efforts on the
services developers value most to build high quality, engaging games.

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Games authentication adopting Google Sign-In API

Posted by Clayton Wilkinson, Developer Platform Engineer

Some changes are coming to Play Game Services in early 2017:

Changes to Google API Client building

In November, we announced an href="https://developers.googleblog.com/2016/11/moving-to-google-sign-in-for-a-better-user-experience-and-higher-conversion-rates.html">update
to Google Sign-In API. Play Game Services is being updated to use Google
Sign-In API for authentication. The advantages are:

• Games and Sign-In in same client connection.
  
• Single API for getting Auth code to send to backend servers.

This change unifies the Google Sign-in and the Games API Sign-in, so there are
updates to how to build the Google API Client:

class="prettyprint">// Defaults to Games Lite scope, no server component
GoogleSignInOptions gso = new
GoogleSignInOptions.Builder(GoogleSignInOptions.DEFAULT_GAMES_SIGN_IN).build();

// OR for apps with a server component
GoogleSignInOptions gso = new
GoogleSignInOptions.Builder(GoogleSignInOptions.DEFAULT_GAMES_SIGN_IN)
.requestServerAuthCode(SERVER_CLIENT_ID)
.build();

// OR for developers who need real user Identity
GoogleSignInOptions gso = new
GoogleSignInOptions.Builder(GoogleSignInOptions.DEFAULT_GAMES_SIGN_IN)
.requestEmail()
.build();

// Build the api client.
mApiClient = new GoogleApiClient.Builder(this)
.addApi(Games.API)
.addApi(Auth.GOOGLE_SIGN_IN_API, gso)
.addConnectionCallbacks(this)
.build();
}

@Override
public void onConnected(Bundle connectionHint) {
if (mApiClient.hasConnectedApi(Games.API)) {
Auth.GoogleSignInApi.silentSignIn(mApiClient).setResultCallback(
new ResultCallback() {
@Override
public void onResult(GoogleSignInResult googleSignInResult) {
// In this case, we are sure the result is a success.
GoogleSignInAccount acct =
googleSignInResult.getGoogleSignInAccount());

// For Games with a server, send the auth code to your server.
String serverAuthCode = signInAccount.getServerAuthCode();

// Use the API client as normal.
Player player = Games.API.getCurrentPlayer(mApiClient);
}
}
);
} else {
onSignedOut();
}
}

Account creation within iOS is no longer supported

• Currently, there is no support for new players to create a Play Games
  account on iOS. Additionally, the Google+ integration has been removed from
  iOS. As a result "social" APIs will return result codes indicating success, but
  return empty lists. This includes the "standard" UIs for leaderboards and
  multiplayer invitations.

Google+ is no longer integrated

• href="http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2016/01/play-games-permissions-are-changing-in.html">Announced
  last year, Games is decoupled from Google+ during this transition. As a
  result the public APIs for getting connected players via circles stopped
  working, but the standard UIs for multiplayer invitations and social
  leaderboards continued to work. Starting from February 2017, the standard UIs
  will also not display the Social graph results as Google+ data becomes
  inaccessible. This will affect multiplayer games, social leaderboards, and
  gifts API on Android. The effect will be that these APIs will return
  successfully, but with an empty list of players.

List of APIs that are deprecated by removing Google+ integration (and their C++
equivalents):

1. href="https://developers.google.com/android/reference/com/google/android/gms/games/Players.html?utm_campaign=product area_discussion_games_121616&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog#getPlayerSearchIntent(com.google.android.gms.common.api.GoogleApiClient)">Games.Players.getPlayerSearchIntent()
   
2. href="https://developers.google.com/android/reference/com/google/android/gms/games/Players.html?utm_campaign=product area_discussion_games_121616&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog#loadConnectedPlayers(com.google.android.gms.common.api.GoogleApiClient,%20boolean)">Games.Players.loadConnectedPlayers()
   
3. href="https://developers.google.com/android/reference/com/google/android/gms/games/Players.html?utm_campaign=product area_discussion_games_121616&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog#loadInvitablePlayers(com.google.android.gms.common.api.GoogleApiClient,%20int,%20boolean)">Games.Players.loadInvitablePlayers()
   
4. The value href="https://developers.google.com/android/reference/com/google/android/gms/games/leaderboard/LeaderboardVariant.html?utm_campaign=product area_discussion_games_121616&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog#COLLECTION_SOCIAL">LeaderboardVariant.COLLECTION_SOCIAL
   
5. href="https://developers.google.com/android/reference/com/google/android/gms/games/multiplayer/Invitations.html?utm_campaign=product area_discussion_games_121616&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog#loadInvitations(com.google.android.gms.common.api.GoogleApiClient,%20int)">Invitations.loadInvitations()
   
6. href="https://developers.google.com/android/reference/com/google/android/gms/games/multiplayer/realtime/RealTimeMultiplayer.html?utm_campaign=product area_discussion_games_121616&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog#getSelectOpponentsIntent(com.google.android.gms.common.api.GoogleApiClient,%20int,%20int,%20boolean)">RealtimeMultiplayer.getSelectOpponentsIntent()
   
7. href="https://developers.google.com/android/reference/com/google/android/gms/games/multiplayer/turnbased/TurnBasedMultiplayer.html?utm_campaign=product area_discussion_games_121616&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog#getSelectOpponentsIntent(com.google.android.gms.common.api.GoogleApiClient,%20int,%20int,%20boolean)">TurnBasedMultiplayer.getSelectOpponentsIntent()
   
8. All methods in the href="https://developers.google.com/android/reference/com/google/android/gms/games/request/GameRequest?utm_campaign=product area_discussion_games_121616&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">Requests
   package.

We realize this is a large change, but moving forward Play Game Services are
much better aligned with the rest of the Mobile platform from Google and will
lead to better developer experience for Android game developers.

Calling European game developers, enter the Indie Games Contest by December 31

Originally posted on Google Developers blog

Posted by Matteo Vallone, Google Play Games Business Development

To build awareness of the awesome innovation and art that indie game developers
are bringing to users on Google Play, we have invested heavily over the past
year in programs like href="https://play.google.com/store/info/topic?id=topic_b000054_games_indie_corner_tp&e=-EnableAppDetailsPageRedesign">Indie
Corner, as well as events like the Google Play Indie Games Festivalshref="https://events.withgoogle.com/google-play-indie-game-festival/"> in
North
America and href="https://events.withgoogle.com/google-play-indie-games-fes/">Korea.

As part of that sustained effort, we also want to celebrate the passion and
innovation of indie game developers with the introduction of the first-ever
href="https://events.withgoogle.com/indie-games-contest-europe/">Google Play
Indie Games Contest in Europe. The contest will recognize the best
indie talent in several countries and offer prizes that will help you get your
game noticed by industry experts and gamers worldwide.

Prizes for the finalists and winners:

• An open showcase held at the Saatchi Gallery in London
  
• YouTube influencer campaigns worth up to 100,000 EUR
  
• Premium placements on Google Play
  
• Tickets to Google I/O 2017 and other top industry events
  
• Promotions on our channels
  
• Special prizes for the best Unity game
  
• And href="https://events.withgoogle.com/indie-games-contest-europe/prizes/">more!
  

Entering the contest:

If you're based in Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France (coming soon),
Germany, Iceland, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Poland (coming soon), Romania,
Spain, Sweden, Turkey, or UK (excl. Northern Ireland), have 15 or less full time
employees, and published a new game on Google Play after 1 January 2016, you may
now be eligible to href="https://events.withgoogle.com/indie-games-contest-europe/">enter the
contest. If you're planning on publishing a new game soon, you can also
enter by submitting a private beta. Check out all the details in the href="https://events.withgoogle.com/indie-games-contest-europe/terms/">terms and
conditions. Submissions close on 31 December 2016.

The process:

Up to 20 finalists will get to showcase their games at an open event at the
Saatchi Gallery in London on the 16th February 2017. At the event, the top 10
will be selected by the event attendees and the Google Play team. The top 10
will then get the opportunity to pitch to a jury of industry experts, from which
the final winner and runners up will be selected.

Even if someone is NOT entering the contest:

Even if you're not eligible to enter the contest, you can still register to
attend the final showcase event in London on 16 February 2017, check out some
great indie games, and have fun with various industry experts and indie
developers. We will also be hosting a workshop for all indie games developers
from across EMEA in the new Google office in Kings Cross the next day, so this
will be a packed week.

Get started:

href="https://events.withgoogle.com/indie-games-contest-europe/">Enter the Indie
Games Contest now and visit the href="https://events.withgoogle.com/indie-games-contest-europe/">contest
site to find out more about the contest, the event, and the workshop.

Announcing the winners of the Google Play Indie Games Festival in San Francisco; Indie Games Contest coming soon to Europe

Posted by Jamil Moledina, Google Play, Games Strategic Lead

Last Saturday, we hosted the first href="https://events.withgoogle.com/google-play-indie-game-festival/exhibiting-games/">Google
Play Indie Games Festival in North America, where we showcased 30 amazing
games that celebrate the passion, innovation, and art of indies. After a
competitive round of voting from fans and on-stage presentations to a jury of
industry experts, we recognized seven finalists nominees and three winners.

Winners:

	bit bit blocks Presented by Greg Batha Bit Bit Blocks is a cute and action-packed competitive puzzle game. Play with your friends on a single screen, or challenge yourself in single player mode. Head-to-head puzzle play anytime, anywhere.
	Numbo Jumbo Presented by Kaveh Daryabeygi, Wombo Combo Numbo Jumbo is a casual mobile puzzle number game for iOS and Android. Players group numbers that add together: for example, [3, 5, 8] works because 3+5=8.
	Orbit - Playing with Gravity Presented by Chetan Surpur & Eric Rahman, Highkey Games ORBIT puts a gravity simulator at the heart of a puzzle game. Launch planets with a flick of your finger, and try to get them into orbit around black holes. ORBIT also features a sandbox where you can create your own universes, control time, and paint with gravity.

Finalist nominees:

	Antihero [coming later in 2016] Presented by Tim Conkling Antihero is a "fast-paced strategy game with an (Oliver) Twist." Run a thieves' guild in a gas-lit, corrupt city. Recruit urchins, hire thugs, steal everything � and bribe, blackmail, and assassinate your opposition. Single-player and cross-platform multiplayer for desktops, tablets, and phones.
	Armajet [coming later in 2016] Presented by Nicola Geretti & Alexander Krivicich, Super Bit Machine Armajet is a free-to-play multiplayer shooter that pits teams of players against each other in fast-paced jetpack combat. Armajet is a best in class mobile game designed for spectator-friendly competitive gaming for tablets and smartphones. Players compete in a modern arena shooter that�s easy to learn, but hard to master.
	Norman's Night In: The Cave [coming later in 2016] Presented by Nick Iorfino & Alex Reed, Bactrian Games Norman's Night In is a 2D puzzle-platformer that tells the tale of Norman and his fateful fall into the world of cave. While test driving the latest model 3c Bowling Ball, Norman finds himself lost with nothing but his loaned bball and a weird feeling that somehow he was meant to be there.
	Parallyzed Presented by David Fox, Double Coconut Parallyzed is an atmospheric adventure platformer with unique gameplay, set in a dark and enchanting dreamscape. You play twin sisters who have been cast into separate dimensions. Red and Blue have different attributes and talents, are deeply connected, and have the ability to swap bodies at any time.

Finalists nominees and winners also received a range of prizes, including Google
I/O 2017 tickets, a Tango Development kit, Google Cloud credits, an NVIDIA
Android TV & K1 tablet, and a Razer Forge TV bundle.

Indie Games Contest coming to Europe

We�re continuing our effort to help indie game developers thrive by highlighting
innovative and fun games for fans around the world. Today, we are announcing the
Indie Games Contest for developers based in European countries (specific list of
countries coming soon!). This is a great opportunity for indie games developers
to win prizes that will help you showcase your art to industry experts and grow
your business and your community of players worldwide. Make sure you don�t miss
out on hearing the details by shref="https://events.withgoogle.com/indie-games-contest-europe/">igning up
here for updates.

As we shared at the festival, it�s rewarding to see how Google Play has evolved
over the years. We�re now reaching over 1 billion users every month and there�s
literally something for everyone. From virtual reality to family indie games,
developers like you continue to inspire, provoke, and innovate through
beautiful, artistic games.

Announcing the Google Play Indie Games Festival in San Francisco, Sept. 24

Posted by Jamil Moledina, Google Play, Games Strategic Lead

If you�re an indie game developer, you know that games are a powerful medium of
expression of art, whimsy, and delight. Being on Google Play can help you reach
over a billion users and build a successful, global business. That�s why we
recently introduced programs, like the href="https://play.google.com/store/info/topic?id=topic_b000054_games_indie_corner_tp&e=-EnableAppDetailsPageRedesign">Indie
Corner, to help more gamers discover your works of art.

To further celebrate and showcase the passion and innovation of indie game
developers, we�re hosting the Google Play Indie Games Festival at the href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Terra+Gallery+%26+Event+Venue/@37.785531,-122.3929643,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xf5fb5bcb9c7795ab!8m2!3d37.785531!4d-122.3929643">Terra
Gallery in San Francisco, on September 24.

This is a great opportunity for you to showcase your indie title to the public,
increase your network, and compete to win great prizes, such as Tango devices,
free tickets for Google I/O 2017, and Google ad campaign support. Admission will
be free and players will get the chance to play and vote on their favorites.

If you�re interested in showcasing your game, we�re href="https://docs.google.com/a/google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSduaM998L0WXm_4znsZjHX5-unZLBChNXHuCHbTlWuAcmMNmQ/viewform">accepting
submissions now through August 14. We�ll then select high-quality games that
are both innovative and fun for the festival. Submissions are open to US and
Canadian developers with 15 or less full time staff. Only games published on or
after January 1, 2016 or those to be published by December 31, 2016 are
eligible. See href="https://docs.google.com/a/google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSduaM998L0WXm_4znsZjHX5-unZLBChNXHuCHbTlWuAcmMNmQ/viewform">complete
rules.

We encourage virtual reality and augmented reality game submissions that use the
Google VR SDK and the href="https://store.google.com/product/tango_tablet_development_kit?srp=/product/project_tango_tablet_development_kit">Tango
Tablet Development Kit.

At the end of August, we�ll announce the group of indies to be featured at the
festival.

You can learn more about the event href="https://events.withgoogle.com/google-play-indie-game-festival/">here.
We can�t wait to see what innovative and fun experiences you share with us!