????雖然谷歌（Google）推出社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)服務(wù)Google+還不到兩個月，但硅谷的火藥味卻越來越濃。

????6月，Google+上市，帶來了創(chuàng)新的視頻群聊功能Hangout。一周后，F(xiàn)acebook就宣布與微軟（Microsoft）旗下的Skype合作，推出自己的視頻聊天服務(wù)。上周，谷歌宣布將在Google+上引進《Zynga撲克》（Zynga Poker）和《憤怒的小鳥》（Angry Birds）等游戲。僅僅一天后，F(xiàn)acebook馬上做出回應(yīng)，對其游戲平臺進行大幅改進，包括推出和Newsfeed類似的游戲更新實時播報功能并提高了游戲的分辨率。

????以前或許不明顯，但現(xiàn)在種種跡象表明：Facebook首席執(zhí)行官馬克?扎克伯格正在密切關(guān)注Google+。

????在上周舉行的一次活動中，負責(zé)Facebook游戲合作的主管肖恩?萊安對新競爭對手大放厥詞。萊安表示：“谷歌模仿了我們的系統(tǒng)，當然，他們有權(quán)利這樣做。我們只是需要做得更好?！比R安指的是兩家公司從類似《虛擬農(nóng)場》（Farmville）和《與朋友填字》（Words With Friends）等休閑在線游戲中獲利的方式。玩家需要為游戲時間或游戲里的虛擬商品付費，社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)公司則從銷售額中提成。目前，據(jù)說Facebook從游戲開發(fā)商手中提成30%，而谷歌僅僅提成5%。

????兩家公司的模式如此類似，難怪相互之間會產(chǎn)生摩擦。在上周的活動中，F(xiàn)acebook的萊安抱怨稱，谷歌進軍游戲界就好像麥當勞（McDonald's）最近開始提供頂級咖啡，與星巴克（Starbucks）展開肉搏一樣。（麥當勞的這項業(yè)務(wù)現(xiàn)在變得越來越紅火）。萊安揶揄谷歌稱：“他們只抽取5%是因為沒有任何用戶?！惫雀璨⑽椿貞?yīng)這些評論，不過再次確認它確實計劃從游戲制作者手中提成5%。

????兩家科技巨頭都把游戲視為爭奪社交用戶的新戰(zhàn)場，這并非沒有道理。根據(jù)研究與投資銀行ThinkEquity的調(diào)查，到2014年，全球虛擬商品市場規(guī)模預(yù)計將增長超過一倍，達到203億美元，而虛擬商品正是休閑游戲開發(fā)商最大的財源。市場調(diào)研與咨詢公司Altimeter集團的首席分析師耶利米?奧楊指出，休閑游戲同樣是觸及大量優(yōu)質(zhì)受眾的途徑之一。奧楊稱：“研究社交游戲的增長，會非常吃驚地發(fā)現(xiàn)絕大部分玩家竟是美國中西部地區(qū)的中年婦女，而在這些人中，蘊藏著大量廣告機遇?！?/p>

????不過奧楊表示，無論Facebook還是谷歌都必須使出渾身解數(shù)。雖然Google+開局良好，但奧楊并不認為谷歌有十足的理由將主流用戶從Facebook吸引到Google+。這就是谷歌宣布引進休閑游戲來吸引新用戶的原因。奧楊還表示，F(xiàn)acebook對Google+的一系列措施無需反應(yīng)過度，F(xiàn)acebook應(yīng)該自己更為主動。

????Google+擁有大概2,500萬注冊用戶，但要趕上Facebook的7.5億用戶還要很長的路要走，更何況Facebook游戲平臺每月活躍用戶人數(shù)高達100萬。不過毋庸置疑地是，兩家公司都可能都會繼續(xù)密切關(guān)注對方的一舉一動。

????譯者：項航

????A little less than two months after Google launched its fledgling social network, Google+, Silicon Valley's latest rivalry is heating up.

????Google+ (GOOG) launched in June with an innovative group video chat dubbed Hangout. One week later, Facebook announced a video chat feature of its own in cooperation with Microsoft's (MSFT) Skype. Last week, Google announced that games like Zynga Poker and Angry Birds would find a home on Google+. A day later, Facebook unveiled a slew of improvements to its games platform, including a newsfeed-like live ticker with game updates and higher-resolution gaming.

????If it wasn't clear before, it is now: Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg is paying very close attention.

????At an event last week, Facebook director of game partnerships Sean Ryan had some choice words for his new competitor. "Google has emulated aspects of our system, which is what they have the right to do," he said. "We just need to be better." He's referring to the way the companies make money from casual online games like Farmville and Words With Friends. Players pay for play time or virtual goods within the games, and the social networks take a cut of the sales. Currently, Facebook reportedly takes 30% from game developers, whereas Google takes just 5%.

????The similarities between the two models have obviously ruffled some feathers. At the event, Facebook's Ryan argued that Google's gaming foray was like McDonald's (MCD) recent efforts to offer premium coffee, competing in the same space as Starbucks (SBUX). (That business went on to become huge for McDonald's...) "Google is at 5% because they don't have any users," he said dryly. Google declined to comment on the statements, but confirmed the percentage it planned to take from game makers.

????There's good reason for the two technology giants to see games as a new front in their tussle for social users. The global virtual goods market -- arguably the largest revenue stream for casual games makers -- is expected to more than double to $20.3 billion by 2014 according to research and investment bank ThinkEquity. Jeremiah Owyang, a principal analyst for Altimeter Group, notes that it is also a way to reach a coveted demographic. "When we saw casual gaming growth, it was amazing to see that the most common gamer was a middle-aged woman in the Midwest, and there's a lot of advertising dollars associated with that," he says.

????But according to Owyang, both services have their work cut out for them. Google+ is off to a good start, but he doesn't think a compelling reason exists yet for mainstream users to switch over from Facebook. That's why the company announced it was going after casual games, to attract new users. Meanwhile, Facebook needs to be less reactive to Google+'s announcements and become more aggressive, he says.

????With an estimated 25 million registered users, Google+ has a long way to go before it catches up to Facebook's 750 million users -- not to mention the 1 million monthly active users already playing games there. What's clear is that both companies are likely to continue watching each other's moves closely.