Google rumoured to be buying Slide

Slide develops games for social netwoking sites

Google is staying quiet on multiple news reports that it is looking to acquire social network games developer Slide.

The reports cite unnamed sources in claiming that Google will buy the firm for a sum ranging from $182m to $228m (£115m to £144m).

A Google spokesperson declined to comment on the reports, citing a company policy of not commenting on rumours or speculation. A call to Slide has not been returned.
Such a deal would put Google further into a social gaming market that has grown alongside the boom of social networking sites and services.

The company was an early investor in Zynga, which is now making up to $500m (£315m) a year from games like FarmVille.

Facebook's application platform has become a hot market for games developers, and Yahoo recently inked a high-profile deal with Zynga.

Google, meanwhile, has seen its own web-based offerings shrink. The company shut down its Wave online collaboration platform earlier this week, which had been open to the public for less than three months, citing a lack of interest.