Zynga's Words With Friends Android bound after Google unveils in-app purchases

There's no question the lack of a first party in-app payment system for Android has been an obstacle for social gaming studios looking to work on the platform.

Logic suggests, therefore, that now such a blocker is set to be removed, Google's OS could be set to enjoy the kind of surge in social games iOS has nurtured in recent times.

News that Zynga, one of the biggest players in the social gaming scene, is to release its second game on the platform Newtoy's Words With Friends - suggests such an inrush might well be on the way.

Free for all

"I think [in-app purchases] are huge for Zynga and all app developers," said Zynga's Paul Bettner, who previously served as Newtoy's CEO and founder.

"It's massive for us," he added, telling All Things Digital that Words With Friends already has 10 million users on iOS.

The game which will enable cross platform play between Android and iPhone follows the release of Zynga Poker on Android back in November.

Expected to launch initially as a free app (a premium ad-free release likely to follow later on), attention now turns to whether some of Zynga's other properties Farmville and Mafia Wars the most notable are now also headed to Google's platform.

[source: All Things Digital]