What you need to know
- Google is launching an earn-back program for native PC games, offering up to 15% additional revenue.
- The company is also introducing new developer tools to enhance gameplay across multiple devices.
- Google Play Games on PC will be available on more devices, including AMD laptops, and desktops.
Google has announced that it’s expanding support for native PC games with a new earn-back program. With the Game Developers Conference (GDC) underway, the search giant has also announced that it is bringing users more games and more ways to play games across devices.
At GDC, the company will be showcasing all games coming to Google Play, and additionally, the new developer tools, which are claimed to improve gameplay across the Android ecosystem. Alongside the earn-back program, Google Play Games on PC will also be generally available this year with major upgrades.
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Google Play connects over two billion monthly active players worldwide. The new tools will help them engage these players across a wide range of devices, further driving engagement and revenue. Google is also hoping that since the gaming experiences are more immersive on PC, the company is trying to make bigger investments in the PC gaming platform.
After announcing Google Play Games on PC, which lets users play mobile games on PC, the search giant is expanding this support to native PC games. This means users will be able to enjoy native PC games on their Android phones.
Google now has a PC program, which includes a dedicated SDK for native PC games on Google Play Games that additionally provides powerful tools, including in-app purchase integration and advanced security protection.
The expansion also includes distribution through Play Console. It allows developers to manage their mobile and PC game builds in one place. It can further help simplify the process of packaging PC versions, configuring releases, and managing store listings. The earn-back program, as mentioned, will bring PC games to Google Play Games on PC, further unlocking up to 15% additional earnings.
Furthermore, Google is making all mobile games available on PC by default, and they can be opted out at any point. On the store, games will have a playability badge, which indicates the games’ compatibility with PC. Right beside the install button, users will also see “optimized” and “playable” options, which mean they offer a great gaming experience, and that games meet the minimum requirements to play well on PC, respectively. Google also assures that many games are already playable right out of the box.
The PC experience is also getting major upgrades, as gamers can now fully enjoy the Google Play Games on PC catalog on more devices, like AMD laptops and desktops. Google is also partnering with PC OEMs to make Google Play Games more accessible right from the start menu. Users will also be gaining new features like custom controls and a huge sidebar that allows quick adjustments. Additionally, multi-account and multi-instance support is also rolling out this month.
The Play Points experience is also promised to be more seamless on PC, as now they are easier to track and rewarding, including up to 10x points boosters on Google Play Games. It allows players to earn and redeem points for in-game purchases and discounts.
Google asserts that at GDC, users will be able to enjoy complete gaming experiences on the best Android gaming devices and recommends that they meet at Moscone Center West Hall.