Got your Google Gamer ID yet? If not, hurry up and secure your unique handle before someone else thinks of "d00dGam3r" and takes it.
With the coming of Google Gamer IDs, the end of Google+ also draws nearer because Google's failed social network will now no longer be necessary to sign in to Google Play Games.
The breakup between the two services indicates that Google is distancing its offerings from Google+. It's not the first service to do so either. YouTube ended the requirement to have a Google+ profile to comment on YouTube videos and Google Photo never even launched with it.
Continuing the trend, this latest Google Play Games update allows gamers to sign in easier and faster into all their favorite games at one time. That means the end of individual sign-ins and the hassle of allowing or denying permissions for each one. Plus, just like YouTube, players can separate their real identity from their gamer identities because they won't have to use their real names anymore on the Play Games.
"If you're like me or many other gamers out there, you love the feeling of escape that comes with playing games. Immersed in a gaming world without any distractions, I can simply focus on one thing: winning. In this alternate world, I'm not Ben, product manager at Google. I'm Caldorf, destroyer of enemy bases; slayer of zombies," says Benjamin Frenkel, a product manager at Google Play Games, announcing the changes over Android's official blog.
The feature will roll out to Google Play Games "over the next few weeks." Along with the ability to choose one's own gamer handle, there are also over 40 avatar images to associate with a single Gamer ID - everything from a viking to a pirate to a ninja and many others in between.
Users can test it out now to ensure their personal gaming persona doesn't get taken. When playing a game that does support Play Games, users will be prompted to create a Gamer ID. More games should be supported shortly, especially since Google says game developers won't have to make any changes at all to their games.
