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Wooga and PopCap pull games from Google+

Boast 'much larger' following on Facebook

Wooga and PopCap pull games from Google+
Social games specialist Wooga has announced it is to pull several of its games from Google+, following claims users are nowhere near as active on the social network as they are on Facebook.

The news comes as PopCap moves to retire Bejeweled Blitz from the platform on 18 June, with Google's hand in the social gaming scene failing to gain momentum.

Bubble burst

Originally a prominent partner for the launch of games channel on Google+ back in August 2011, Wooga has released three of its biggest games on the platform - Monster World, Diamond Dash, and Bubble Island – to date.

However, Monster World has already been unceremoniously yanked from the service, and the company has confirmed its intention to pull the plug on its remaining two games too.

Speaking to AllThingsD, a Wooga customer care representative gave a blunt explanation for the decision, stating the move had been made because the company has "a much larger following on Facebook and they are active users."

No pop

PopCap's Bejeweled Blitz, meanwhile, has proven extremely popular on Facebook, but has reportedly failed to enjoy an equivalent level of success on Google+ since launch.

A PopCap representative explained that the company "has decided to suspend Bejeweled Blitz on Google+ to redeploy our resources to other adaptations of Bejeweled."

Its departure will leave Google+ with just 40 games in all.

However, PopCap noted that "Google is a valuable gaming partner for PopCap and EA, and we'll continue to develop for Google platforms."

The impact of said announcements is tempered somewhat, however, by the news that prominent Facebook games are currently losing players as consumers are increasingly drawn to mobile platforms.

[source: AllThingsD]
Staff Writer

PocketGamer.biz's news editor 2012-2013