Google+ Games comes out swinging with Zynga, PopCap, Playdom et al

The gloves are officially off. Google has announced that it's slowly rolling out games to its Google+ social network. Aptly dubbed Google+ Games, the search--and possibly now social games--giant has teamed up with a number of high-profile Facebook game developers and publishers to bring their games to its platform.

According to a blog post announcing the new games movement, Google is focused on providing you with games that "are there when you want them and gone when you don't." Meaning that, instead of being infused with the existing Google+ News Feed, game updates are found by clicking on the new Games button between the search bar and the Circles button.

And just as quickly, these updates will be removed from your view when you press any other button next to the search bar. Your accomplishments in games on Google+ are only shown to those who also play games on Google+. And boy, has Google come armed to the teeth against Facebook. Google+ Games launches with games from PopCap, Playdom, Kabam, Wooga, GameHouse, EA, Funzio and Digital Chocolate. (And, of course, Rovio.)

Google+ Games
Wait a second, is that a Zynga game down there? But, doesn't that violate its terms with Facebook? (Surely, there's a loophole there we're not aware of.) Check out all of the launch games below, and join us in the waiting game for when that Games button appears on your Google+:

Games on Google+

[Image Credit: Google]