Google gets its game face on

Google got its game on, launching videogame-themed wallpaper for
customized home pages and providing a glimpse at online play making
its way to the website.

The California Internet titan arranged for scenes from an array of
blockbuster videogame titles to be used as backdrops to personalize
iGoogle home pages that people use to help organize online lives.

Google vice president of search products and user experience Marissa
Mayer unveiled the themes at a warehouse party on the opening night of
a Game Developers Conference exposition in San Francisco.

"IGoogle is about allowing people to express their personalities and
there is no better way for that than videogames," Mayer said.

"Not only is the artwork unbelievably good, there is a real emotional
connection with people."

Nine major videogame studios contributed themes for iGoogle, with
titles including "Zelda," "World of Warcraft," "Spore," and "Guitar
Hero."

IGoogle versions of "Mafia Wars" and Chess.com applications popular on
social networking websites such as Facebook were among the games being
demonstrated.

"We are looking at putting games into iGoogle pages," said Mayer, who
confided she has played "Guitar Hero" and sports games but is a fan of
"rock-dropping" titles such as "Tetris" and "Bejeweled."