Google have decided to rebrand the Android Market under the new name Google Play with different apps for different services. The change is happening right now and you’ll soon see your Android Market changing into this….
Bye bye Android Market, hello “Play Shop”.
An interesting move by the company, removing the word “Android” completely from the title. This brings all their download services under a single name, which should make things easier in the future.
Check out much more information below including a YouTube video and FAQ, or open your Android Market now to see it magically change before your very eyes đ
What’s your thoughts on this? Is “Play”the right terminology when you’re buying items like books?
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About Google Play
Q: What is Google Play?
A: Google Play is a new digital content experience from Google where you can find your favorite music, movies, books, and Android apps and games. Itâs your entertainment hub: you can access it from the web or from your Android device or even TV, and all your content is instantly available across all of these devices.
Q: What is your strategy with Google Play?
A: Our goal with Google Play is to bring together all your favorite content in one place that you can access across your devices. Specifically, digital content is fundamental to the mobile experience, so bringing all of this content together in one place for users makes the Android platform even more compelling. Weâre also simplifying digital content for Google users – you can go to the Google Play website on your desktop and purchase and experience the latest movies, music and books. With Google Play, weâre giving you a simpler way to get your digital content.Q: What will the experience be for users? What will happen to my existing account?
A: All content and apps in your existing account will remain in your account, but will transition to Google Play. On your device, the Android Market app icon will become the Google Play store icon. Youâll see “Play Store.” For the movies, books and music apps, youâll begin to see Play versions of these as well, such as “Play Music,” and “Play Movies.”Q: When will I get Google Play? What markets is this available in?
A: Weâll be rolling out Google Play globally starting today. On the web, Google Play will be live today. On devices, it will take a few days for the Android Market app to update to the Google Play Store app. The music, books and movies apps will also receive an update today.
Around the globe, Google Play will include Android apps and games. In countries where we have already launched music, books or movies, you will see those categories available in Google Play, too.Q: I live outside the US. When will I get the books, music or movies verticals? I only see Android apps and games?
A: We want to bring different content categories to as many countries as possible. Weâve already launched movies and books in several countries outside the U.S. and will continue to do so overtime, but we donât have a specific timeline to share.Q: What types of content are available in my country?
- Paid Apps: Available in these countries
- Movies:Â Available in US, UK, Canada, and Japan
- eBooks:Â Available in US, UK, Canada, and Australia
- Music:Â Available in US
Q: Does this mean Google Music and the Google eBookstore will cease to exist? What about my account?
A: Both Google Music and the Google eBookstore are now part of Google Play. Your music and your books, including anything you bought, are still there, available to you in Google Play and accessible through your Google account.Q: Where did my Google eBooks books go? Will I still have access to them?
A: Your books are now part of Google Play. Your books are still there, available to you in your Google Play library and accessible through your Google account.Q: I donât use an Android phone, can I still use Google Play?
A: Yes. Google Play is available on any computer with a modern browser at play.google.com. On the web, you can browse and buy books, movies and music. You can read books on the Google Play web reader, listen to music on your computer or watch movies online. Your digital content is all stored in the cloud, so you can access from anywhere using your Google Account.
Weâve also created ways to experience your music and books on other platforms such as the Google Books iOS app.Q: Why do I not see Google Play yet on my device?
A: Please see our help center article on this here.Q: How can I contact Google Play consumer support?
A: You can call or email our team here.
Literally a re-brand, nothing new in the updated apps that I can see
Wrong. Google Play will no longer play content on rooted phones.
This is very bad. Plus no advance notice to users . I just went to find a particular app and was immediately confronted with the notice, “By accepted Google Play you agree to these new terms of service, including the YouTube Rental Agreement”. Huh???
I don’t want to âplay â anything , I don’t have any free time to spend on video games, and I certainly don’t want to rent anything from YouTube!
What happened to the Market?? Who is the incompetent fool at Google that thought this up? And thought it was even better to spring this idiocy on us with no notice or consultation or provision to opt out?
Google is becoming the new computing Evil Empire. Too much success and perceived power and they totally lose touch with their users. Forcing people to accept what they don’t want and don’t need is the sign of a dictator! Whatever happened to their motto “Do no evil”??
I understand the open-source Linux is about ready for the ARM processors. Not a bloody minute too soon!
What a stupid name, what is wrong with Google Market or if they wanted to change it Google One or Google Shop or Google Store.Â
Play just sounds completely daft, this obviously went through some sort of process within Google for decision making, which Gumbos allowed this to happen.
Surely Google Play should be ‘part’ of an overall market just for Games etc. How do you play with a book?
Oh well. no one in Google seems to listen any more.
My thoughts exactly!!
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I wonder if google will ‘fix’ another problem with the ‘market’ that means in a lot of cases, if an app is able to be stored run from a memory card – in my case a 16gb micro sdhc card in my HTC Desire – that available updates will ALWAYS fail to install. This happens with some of the Adobe(Air, Flash Player, Reader) apps on my phone as well as the Kindle Reader, Google Maps, Google Translate, and some others. The only ‘fix’ I have found is to move the ‘offending app’ back to the phone, download and install the update (when I have eventually received the reminder again, that is), and then move the app back to the card. This is a huge pain in the arse and not always possible as the HTC Desire does not have very much on board memory, so I often have to delete ‘other’ apps temporarily in order to have enough space to move ‘the apps in question’ back to the phone so ‘they’ can be updated, then moved back to the memory card, then re-dowload the ‘other’ apps that were on the phone AGAIN.
I wish that ‘developers’ who say that their apps are compatible with being run from a memory card would realise – if they don’t already – that the apps might run from a card, but too many of them won’t be updated if they are still on the card.Â
Also google need to fix something else that I see – or more likely DON’T see on my phone. i.e. When I get a notice of updates available to apps installed (whether on the phone or the memory card) – and these updates fail to install (which is a regular occurence), there seems to be no way to find these updates later on, and you have to wait for another reminder, which by the time I get it, I am most likely not going to be in a strong enough signal area to get the update anyway, and even if I get the reminder the update then fails to install – AGAIN!!!