Google has created a single destination for digital media called Google Play, putting books, music, movies and games all in one spot. It’s a bid to build a powerful entertainment hub to take on Yahoo, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft.
Google Play brings together Google Music, Google Books and Android Market. Visitors to those sites will be redirected to a single page that features tabs for books, music, games and movies, regardless if you are on cell, computer or tablet.
The big G says users can store up to 20,000 songs for free and buy millions of new tracks, download more than 450,000 Android apps and games, browse ebooks and rent movies.
According to Google Engineering Director Chris Yerga, the rebranding was something Google has been contemplating for quite some time, but the company felt that this was the “natural time” to pull the trigger.
The Android Market will be renamed the Google Play Store, while similar name changes will go into effect for Google’s playback apps — the Google Music app for example will now be called Google Play Music.
Google has been making aggressive moves in entertainment. It has been working with TV makers to add Google TV to their offerings. At the same time they have been working with Hollywood production companies and new media creators to create original programming for YouTube.
