Google jumps into the casual gaming market by acquiring Labpixies

By on Apr 27, 2010 at 11:42 AM
Gaming April 27, 2010

labpixies-google

Google went shopping recently and added Labpixies to its repertoire of acquired properties. For those unfamiliar with the small start-up out of Israel, Labpixies is a development company that has produced a plethora of casual games and applications/gadgets for Facebook, Android, the iPhone OS, and more. Labpixies was also one of the first development teams to jump on board with the iGoogle platform. Acquisition details were not revealed, but Labpixies says it doesn’t expect its new-found success will change how it goes about brining additional applications and games to Google’s multiple platforms.Read

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  • Ez

    Google just wants to have thier hand in everything , huh ? Talk about control, we bashed apple for this, looks like google might be the same if not worse, but i guess they have to keep up with the joneses

    • Norm

      And it took googles purchase of “labpixies” for you to realize these plans for world domination?
      Ok, I’m starting to see it…..

    • rederikus

      Companies today HAVE to have a foot in every marketplace they can.

      We bash CrApple because they are trulyt the evi empire. Google just say they aren’t evil.

    • Mr. Anderson

      I humbly disagree Ez. While Google may be on the path to take over the world, they don’t seem to be doing it with the total control method. That’s why apple is “evil” & google is considered not.

    • WhyNoLikeyMe

      Apple = We own it, and if you want to use it, you must use it the way we want you to use it. We own it, which means we invented it. You don’t like it? Don’t buy it. Or we can sue you, your choice.

      Google = We own it… go ahead, try it… do whatever you want with it. Yes, we’re watching and recording how you use it and yes we’re making money by plastering ads on it. Yes, we know how that sounds…. but trust us.

      Microsoft = We own it and we’re working on it. Its a work in progress… we own it so we distribute it with all our products whether you want it or not. We own more than the other guys, but that’s our excuse for being slower out the gate on these things.

      • NoFan

        WhyNoLikeyMe – I was in tears laughing by the time you got to Microsoft. “we own it…we’re working on it..” Should have added that they won’t fix it, they just will develope something entirely new with a new range of problems

      • Nice,

        Hillarious, and spot on.

    • http://missymartinmedia.com/corbettcomicstrip mcorbett

      sounds like you have no idea what you are talking about EZ, google wants to get into hand held gaming via mobile, which I am also fine with Apple doing. Its that apple is closed minded, closed sourced and tells you what to do with your phone….. google doesn’t say we have to use this service, unlike apple who told us we can’t use flash

  • Onceuponatime

    Next up, google buys local gas and electric companies shortly after Google Wireless is formed.

  • Derr

    Everything Apple has done Google seems to be copying. Seems weird.

    - Eric Schmidt sits on Apples board then suddenly resigns
    - Google buys Admob from underneath Apple
    - Google comes out with the Nexus One
    - HTC gets sues by Apple for using multi-touch amongst other things on their Android phone
    - Google is working on a tablet
    - Google is now buying a gaming company no doubt to compete wiht the ipod touch and iphone casual games

    Google strategy is to buy everyone up and those they cannot buy, the copy from.

    • Chris

      Boy, you couldn’t be more wrong…

      - Google copied Apple because Eric Scmidt was on Apple’s board?
      - Google didn’t copy Admob, they bought them, well before Apple bought up their latest iAd.
      - It’s absurd that multi-touch can even be copied. It’s a basic functionality that was in use far before Apple put it in a mainstream phone.
      - If Google copied Apple on the tablet idea then Apple copied Microsoft.
      - Last I checked Apple didn’t make games so how can Google buying this company be copying them?

      You’re loosely right on the N1 and that’s it.

    • StevenGlansburg

      To deny that Google isn’t getting inspiration from Apple’s strategies/products is kind of foolish. Android has done some unique things, but it looks like they are just following Apple’s lead on many of their practices.

      • http://www.kykypowa.com kyky

        Just as apple tries to reinvent products that are already in existence and claim them as their own.

      • kidphat

        Why is that relevant though? You point this out as if to indicate that Apple is the superior company. Most successful products aren’t the ones that originated the ideas, they are usually the ones that improved on the originals. That’s the reason why idea patents stifle innovation.

    • http://missymartinmedia.com/corbettcomicstrip mcorbett

      Google is doing it better, and some things they are doing first! Apple just barely got multitasking in iphone, apple just barely got folders! they are following the G1, kudos apple!

  • Funkeodor

    I didn’t know that you could use a brine on an application! ;-)

  • lunchbox

    @Funkeodor, it does wonders on my Thanksgiving turkey app… bazinga.

  • bringit

    So…

    When Apple fans love to boast how there are 20 billion (or whatever) iPhone apps – that’s cool. When Google makes a move to add apps/games, that’s an attempt at world control and domination?

    Competition is good for all.

    • (The real Jarrett) Jarrett

      Competition is absolustely good for all. When companies are using your IP and/or your ideas is that really competition? Other than that though I do agree with your post.

      • kidphat

        You make absolutely no sense. Companies acquire other companies to leverage their IP. Why would you want to reinvent the wheel? Why is this a problem when Google does it?

      • (The real Jarrett) Jarrett

        Who said it was a problem? I was merely making certain that we all knew the difference between something new and something completely copied.

  • (The real Jarrett) Jarrett

    Does this mean we are going to see even more Google Beta’s? Is their next Beta software release going to give away our personal information again? Question, I have a few.

    • (The really real Jarrett) Jarret

      i like google beta’s. instead of keeping their stuff in labs for 5 years, google releases it after 3 and has the public test it out. that way we always have the latest and greatest.

      google wave is an odd one, but it has tremendous potential. and buzz, sure it had a few errors (one major one), and sure it was a twitter copy…but it enabled me to do everything from my gmail page.

      so to answer your question: yes, we’ll probably see more google beta’s. and it’s awesome!

    • kidphat

      You obviously have a prejudice against Google. No one’s going to take you seriously.

      • WhyNoLikeyMe

        Now THATS the smartest thing I’ve read all day.

      • (The real Jarrett) Jarrett

        Not sure I am too worried whether anyone on the internet takes me too seriously. Certainly there are greater problems facing the world.

  • http://palfrei.blogspot.com palfrei

    Why do people get fanatic of brands? They are just companies with/or names, not their best friend, family member or loved one.

    Just a brand. How can they defend something so intangible and foreign to themselves as if it were their own?

    I do despise fanaticism and fanatics.

    • (The really real Jarrett) Jarret

      because certain brands manage to entangle themselves into our daily lives so much that if it was to be taken away at some point in time we would probably break down.

      apple: some people use it for all their home computing, phone use, gaming, music, reading, etc. if apple was to stop expanding or developing, these people’s technological lives would come to a stand still

      google: some people (myself included) use google for all my emailing, phone use, web-browsing, web-searching, school documents, etc. if the google empire was to collapse, my entire internet life would go with it.

      so we defend it as if we are defending a part of ourselves, because it is in fact a part of our being. certain brands become extensions of our bodies, and if nobody was to defend those extensions it will be severed and destroyed.

      • WhyNoLikeyMe

        I understand what you’re saying, but I have to disagree and say you’re going a bit over the top.

        What would happen if Apple crashed and burned tomorrow? PC sales go up.

        What would happen if Google crashed and burned tomorrow? Yahoo subscribers increase tenfold.

        You’re basically admitting to being weak and helpless and un-adaptable to change.

        No, its not that complicated: Everyone (consumers and people I mean) wants to be right. Everyone wants to be #1. If I use Apple and Apple is #1, then suddenly I’m validated. I have affirmation. It says my choices and opinions MUST be the right one. That makes me better than you, smarter and savvier than you and by God (my god of course, not yours), that makes me feel soooooooo good about myself.

        Its psychologically rather repugnant and sad if you think about it.

        But its no different than a Yankees fan talking shit to a Red Sox fan. Some people take it way too far, some get it… and some can’t handle it at all.

      • (The real Jarrett) Jarrett

        @ WhyNoLikeyMe,

        Possibly one of the most “on” comments ever posted to the internet. Well done sir/ma’am, well done indeed. Absolutely correct also. “My God, not yours”, hilarious!

    • (The real Jarrett) Jarrett

      Like your family is anything compared to a good brand, what a moron you are.

  • JA2BK

    What does this mean for the Lab Pixies games in the Apple App store considering the “war” between Google and Apple?

  • Joe

    Just came here to say I love playing LineUp, download it on your Android phone ya’ll.

  • RTS

    All new designs and innovations give birth to others. This is what we call progression. A leader such as Google or Apple have to be on the brink of anything hot and new.

    iPhone is/was/hopefully still will be a good source of innovation for others to improve upon. I own and love my Android phone and i do feel that the iPhone is to thank. Many designs of almost every phone today has Apples inspiration to thank.

    I still think Apple is a control drunk company who creates fads that Apple fan-boys defend until the death while saying that they are the underdog. lol

    I prefer choice, thus my Android. Still, I thank Apple for their direct influence in the design of my choice of phone.

  • http://missymartinmedia.com/corbettcomicstrip mcorbett

    The point that i want to make here, is that google is smart for wanting to do mobile gaming, some people like to game via mobile, whether its on the bus or at the mall. smart move google

  • Jarrett

    I am a fucking idiot!!!
    I am a fucking idiot!!!
    I am a fucking idiot!!!

    • (The real Jarrett) Jarrett

      No, I am a fucking idiot!!!
      I am a fucking idiot!!!
      I am a fucking idiot!!!

      • (The really real Jarrett) Jarret

        No, neither of you are idiots, for I am the fucking idiot!!!
        I am a fucking idiot!!!
        I am a fucking idiot!!!

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