Mobile gaming can be a finicky thing. Not only does any title have to account for varying screen resolutions and multiplayer play, but with such a saturated device market, being able to take a game cross-platform entices both the developer and the player. For example, switching back and forth between iOS and Android can be difficult for some mobile gamers, especially if there are in-app purchases and achievements worth hoarding. As mobile ecosystems grow so do the users’ needs.

Google apparently realizes this since the company is making big strides to ensure that game developers are on board with its mobile ecosystem. It’s introduced a suite of APIs that will enable cloud saves, leaderboards, multiplayer game play, and achievements—all things that will benefit mobile gamers. “The opportunity that exists here is phenomenal for both developers and players looking for interesting and entertaining games,” said Greg Hartell, product manager for Google Play game services. “What it’s really about is creating a cross-platform environment that allows you to build a community of players across different screens.”

At first glance, Google’s Play game services appear to be a response to Apple’s Game Center functionality. On iOS the Game Center is featured as a standalone application for players to check on achievements and hook up with friends to play a game. Game Center is also integrated into the games that support it. The Play game services work similarly: users log in with their Google Plus account on the titles that support it.

As of its launch there are about 20 games that utilize the service, though only five were highlighted at the Google I/O keynote. They feature functionality like cloud save, which let users save their level progression and game state across different Play-compatible devices. There are also APIs for Achievements and Leaderboards, which can be limited to specific circles in Google Plus, and for multiplayer play, which will allow developers to leave the “heavy lifting” to Google. Multiplayer even comes with services like matchmaking, latency management, and other such back-end functions.

Additionally developers will be able to create their own achievement badges and link the same game entry between iOS and Android. Users should finally have their achievements stored on different leaderboards. The Google Play game services will also work for Web applications with games built containing the game services APIs. “You get some of the big studio features without needing an entire back-end services team to manage your database and security,” said Toss Kerpelman, a developer advocate for Google speaking at a session detailing the company’s new gaming APIs.

Google has added some anti-piracy functionality for developers who choose to integrate the Google Play services API. Google’s servers can detect when a player is playing an app that hasn't been downloaded directly from the Google Play store. If the developer wants, he can set up an error message to pop up when that player attempts to launch the game. The developer can then decide what happens next, like whether or not the pirated title will have the same access to the features that paid customers would. Developers can choose to restrict access to the pirated game and prevent it from being able to participate in multiplayer gaming sessions. This functionally would ideally offer an incentive for players to purchase the game in order to experience it in full.

How it stacks up to iOS’s Game Center

Google has made it so that its Play game services also work on iOS, which makes it easier for friends who are multiplatform to play against each other. “Our goal is to let everyone play with who they want,” said Android lead engineer Steve Martin in the same session. But we noticed that some of the games that are cross-platform haven’t been updated to include the new APIs just yet. Beach Buggy Blitz asked for a Google+ sign in at the beginning of the game. On the other hand the iOS version hasn't been updated since January according to its iTunes Store page.

Google Play doesn't yet have a games portal or landing page that users can view to check on their achievements and stats. When we asked Hartell about whether Android users would receive this he replied that Google is, “always taking feedback from our developers and our partners and, of course, the users of the services.” It's possible users could see something of the sort in the future but it will really depend on the demand. For now Google Play game services work mostly in the background.

Multiplayer was also confusing in some game titles as the functionality isn't streamlined across publishers. We tried the matchmaking functionality in Zookeeper Battle and it was confusing to try to set up a head-to-head game session. Most games do provide a hint however; users can look for the Google Play game controller as a reference point for what is a Google Play game services feature.

Developers make the games

Google is handing developers the tools to make the games more socially driven and that will be a boon for the Android platform—provided that developers actually utilize these new APIs that have been made available. What’s interesting to note however is that this all falls in line with the theme in Google’s I/O opening keynote. Rather than focus on pushing through new features directly to consumers it’s enabling the developers to create it first and then let the users choose what they need to make it successful.

The game companies will definitely benefit from these new APIs, and judging from the launch titles there are many companies that are willing to use it. “They combine a lot of essential functionality that ties together…our network of games,” said Chris Akhavan, the President of Publishing at Glu, a freemium gaming company that publishes games like Eternity Warriors 2. Glu had employed a third-party service for the same functionality but will begin to integrate Google’s Play game services API into their titles. “This game service through Google has made it that much easier and it’s something we can roll out to the rest of our Android titles on Google Play.”

It really isn’t a discussion of whether Google will trump Apple’s Game Center but if it wants to be successful, and Google can at least learn from Apple’s follies in mobile gaming—maybe even create a landing page or standalone application. For now gamers can use these services as they become available, and developers will play a major role in making the services better. “Those user experiences are for developers to create,” Hartell had said later in our conversation. What they create remains to be seen.