Google Wave: Can it Revolutionize Social Gaming?
Just recently, I was sent an invitation to try out the new Google Wave. What it is, is a community and contact based communication and collaboration hub. Google’s attempting to create a multi-use platform for people to connect, optimize workflow, share information, create documents in real-time and have fun.
After playing with Google Wave for less than 24 hours now, I’m seeing some incredible potential to view this as a powerful social gaming portal and platform. Firstly, to give a little bit of background, I’m going to categorize some of the current social gaming platforms and then give my thoughts on how Google Wave can change the game, in a very literal sense.
- Tabletop Games: (RPG’s like D&D, Board games like Risk, Card games like Poker)
- Embedded Browser Games: These are games like PopCap’s Plants vs. Zombies game.
- Full Browser Games: Browser based MMORPGs like Runescape.
- PC/ Console Ports: Online FPS games like Rasterwerks Phosphor.
Traditional Table Top Gaming
I’ve been known to engage in the occasional D&D or Call of Cthulhu RPG, part of that experience comes from being around the table, with your friends, huddled around a cheeto-stained map with your intricately designed figurines in a strategic formation. While there have been several attempts to recreate that experience online, using proprietary programs or the browser, none of them have really replaced the essential table top experience. However, for smaller adventures, I can easily see Wizards of the Coast developing an extension for Google Wave that allows for customizable maps, figurine placements and even automated rolling, saves, damage, spell casting and other critical components of the game. While this would not replace the face to face game, we see apps on Facebook like D&D Tiny Adventures. Entering that same principal on a more social level into Google Wave could be very cool, more addictive and more fun.
Embedded Browser Games
I bring up PopCap’s Plants vs. Zombies for the simple reason is that it’s inherently multiplayer. You can be either the plants or the zombies, utilizing critical resources and materials to defeat the other player. The good news is that the game is already browser based and very popular, it can be as short or as long as you want it to be and it’d be very cool for a quick lunch time pickup game.
Full Browser Games
While I’m not sure if the full browser experience will be a part of Google Wave, there are hundreds of browser based games that can be developed as an extension to Google Wave. The difference between the full browser game and the embedded browser game is that games like Runescape are persistent, you can log in, play your avatar, log off and continue on. The group functions of Wave can provide for easy guild management, chat and discussion for MMOs like this. You’ll be able to meet other Google Wave users, add them to your contact list and have an experience not unlike the traditional browser MMO.
PC/ Console Ports
I’m a huge fan of Rasterwerk’s Phosphor. With graphics better than some of the older engines, quick pick-up action and well designed maps, I can forgive some of the latency hiccups and invisible walls I find when playing in Chrome, it’s a fantastic game. This kind of technology can easily find its home in Wave. If there’s a way to adjust the size of the playable window, players and contacts can hop in, fight a quick deathmatch or two and then go back to being productive.
I’m very optimistic about the potential for Google Wave, with social gaming, web gaming and other non-console based games start getting better, more involving, more integrated with other networks, Google Wave can provide an extra level of interactivity, social connection and fun to the gaming experience.
Lastly, with OnLive getting funding from AT&T, this type of cloud based gaming technology cannot be too far away from entering into platforms like Google Wave. In fact, I would not be surprised at all to see Wave extensions being developed from traditional games, new games and even for marketing purposes. Would it be possible to play a demo for a game in Wave? Would it be possible for a game like Fallen Earth create minigames that would be attached to the user account and give people a chance to play games that would actually be attributed to the main avatar when they log into the PC?
When the bigger discussions around the marketing meeting is to “get through the clutter”, can a creative exploitation of Wave’s inherent social, sharing and gaming capability be a way to capture a loyal audience? Can Wave’s group functions enhance the viral spread of a game?
Time will tell, but the more that I play with Google Wave, the more I’m excited to see the evolution of this product into the gaming arena.
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