Google, the amazing internet guru is attempting to revamp the Android Market by creating a more comprehensive bazaar for movies, apps, e-books, music and more. Essentially, the company is marrying its two popular sources, Google Music and Google eBookstore – and the product will be Google Play. The modification takes place today, March 6, 2012.
This coupling of the two services denotes a trail-blazing venture away from Android Market, which has largely served as the virtual mortar holding Google’s mobile platform together since Android stepped to the stage several years ago.
The bold move makes quietly implicit the fact that Android Market wasn’t exactly pulling its weight in a world swamped with virtual flea markets teeming with apps. Not only does Google hope its new “Play”-ground will offer a singular, more simple shopping experience for consumers, but also that content partners will be more inclined to collaborate with the Google’s services.
As shocking as a brand-shift such as this always is, we may better be able to understand Google’s move by considering it an answer to criticism that the company’s digital services and content have henceforth been awkwardly fragmented. An example of the disjointedness is the relationship of Google Music to YouTube. When Google first introduced Google Music, the plan was to do so in tandem with integrating it with YouTube’s videos – but that never happened, resulting in a digitally incoherent discomfort.
In short, Android Market simply wasn’t enough. Especially considering Apple’s App Store and the new Window App market as competitors, it is likely that without this courageous repositioning, Google may have fallen too far behind to ever catch up.
In essence, bunching all of its services into a neat little pile from which users can browse through and buy from is one of the best ideas that Google has had in a while. It will serve for a smoother, more streamlined experience for consumers – and also assist the company in staying true to its image as the great internet giant.
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