Facebook execs have accused Google of having “emulated aspects of our system” with its new Google+ games, though suggested that the social networking upstart “[doesn't] have any users.” According to Facebook director of game partnerships Sean Ryan, Google is directly following Facebook’s path including taking a percentage cut of game developer’s proceeds, Fortune reports, though the far smaller share involved – Google+ demands 5-percent, versus Facebook’s 30-percent – is a sign that the new network falls short when it comes to actual members.
“Google is at 5% because they don’t have any users” Ryan argued. “Google has emulated aspects of our system, which is what they have the right to do” the exec said, “we just need to be better.” According to Ryan, the comparison is similar to when MacDonald’s attempted to muscle in on Starbucks’ “premium” coffee business, using temptingly low pricing to build market share.
Yesterday, reports broke suggesting that Facebook was attempting to bury invitations to Google+ that users posted on their walls, though there were mixed results in replicating the supposed issue. Earlier this month, meanwhile, Facebook countered Google+ Games with a range of its own new gaming features, the sudden release of which led to claims that it had been sitting on the updates so as to use them to distract attention from Google’s launch.