Play here, play there, play anywhere with Android

I still remember my first gaming console. For months I was hooked on blocky 8-bit scenes with a repetitive soundtrack of bloops and bleeps. Back then the graphics were primitive, the choice of titles was limited, and gaming was strictly an indoors activity. Today, things are different.

We recently launched Nexus Player, the first streaming media and gaming device that brings Android to your TV. Thanks to thousands of games and free online multiplayer, Android is already the first choice for many casual and experienced gamers. And with Android now on screens big and small, you can sneak a quick game while you’re out on the road, then keep playing at home on your HDTV. 

Nexus Player makes the perfect holiday gift for family fun and immersive play on the biggest screen in your home. Here’s a quick look at some upcoming titles and a round-up of recently-launched favorites.

Rayman Fiesta Run brings Ubisoft’s classic, wacky and lovable character Rayman to your living room. Jumping and rolling through this beautiful fantasy world looks incredible on your TV. And if you grew up like me, spending countless hours collecting video game stars and coins, you’ll quickly fall for this title with a Gamepad for Nexus Player.

New games are coming in every week and there are now more than 60 titles available on Google Play. Some of our favorite new arrivals include:

  • Bike Rivals: an adrenaline-packed stunt racing game that uses the Nexus Player remote 
  • Prime World: Defenders: a classic tower defense game with awesome 3D graphics 
  • Goat Simulator: because who hasn’t dreamt of causing chaos as a goat? 

And coming soon:

  • NBA Jam: a classic, reborn – slam-dunk on your friends with multiple gamepads, phones and tablets
  • Valiant Hearts: a thoughtful warrior’s journey through World War I, realized as an action game 

If you’re looking for a great way to spend the holidays, or to level up your love for Android gaming, grab the Nexus Player and Gamepad for Nexus Player in the Play Store. Nexus Player comes with Badland and a $20 Google Play credit that you can use for games, movies and more.

Enjoy the holidays, whatever (and wherever) you’re playing!

Posted by Jamil Moledina, Games Strategic Partnerships Lead and in-office gamer, Google Play
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Google Keep: Share ideas with friends and family

Sticky notes on refrigerators were once the preferred way to say, “We’re out of bread - could you pick some up?” Now with Google Keep, not only can you jot down ideas or put together shopping lists, you can also share them with friends and family and work on them at the same time. So next time you create a list, share it on Keep and watch as items get checked off in real time! No need for text messages back and forth—get things done together, quicker.
Searching for your notes is simpler now too. You can filter notes by color and other attributes such as whether they’re shared, have a reminder, are lists, or have an image or audio. Find what you’re looking for even faster, and let Keep do the remembering for you.


Google Keep is available for free on Google Play for your Android phones (Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich and above). For existing users, the sharing feature will start rolling out today on Google Play and is already available on the web and the Chrome Web Store.

Posted by Ken Thai, Software Engineer and Chief Listmaker
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Curved glass and stitched leather: ASUS ZenWatch powered by Android Wear

Every new Android Wear device makes it easier to match your style, and today we’re introducing another great watch into the mix: the ASUS ZenWatch!

For starters, the stitched leather strap and curved, stainless steel body make the ZenWatch both comfortable and attractive to wear. It also has a curved glass display, which provides a smooth surface for easy gestures, and a beautiful window for watch faces. Finally, the ZenWatch includes a unique set of sensors that help you keep track of your heart rate, step count, and even relaxation levels.

The ASUS ZenWatch is available to buy now for $199.99 from Google Play and Best Buy.

Posted by Jeff Chang, Senior Product Manager, Android Wear
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A classic watch with Android Wear: LG G Watch R

With Android Wear you can choose the watch that best fits your personal style, then add your favorite apps to customize even further. This ability to make your watch your own is made possible by an amazing community of manufacturers and developers. And today we’re welcoming another exciting addition to the family: the LG G Watch R.


With a matte black stainless steel bezel, a leather strap, and a fully circular screen that’s the first of its kind, the LG G Watch R combines the timeless design of a traditional watch with the sensor-rich experience of Android Wear. It also includes a range of watch face styles that display beautifully on its P-OLED screen.

The LG G Watch R is available to buy now for $299 from Google Play and AT&T.

Posted by Jeff Chang, Senior Product Manager, Android Wear
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The NBA, live on Android TV

2014 is shaping up to be an awesome year for professional basketball. Cleveland gets The Homecoming. Charlotte welcomes back the Hornets. And San Antonio tries to repeat as it goes for its sixth Championship. With the season only a few days old, you can now watch live NBA games on Nexus Player.


Our friends at the National Basketball Association have just released the NBA Game Time app on Google Play. In the United States, you can now follow your favorite teams and catch every pick, roll, dunk and long-range three, live with an NBA League Pass. While you’re at it, grab the Android apps for your other devices so you can cheer on your team from your couch, on your tablet in bed, and on your phone under your desk at work.

MLB.TV is also now available for Android TV on Google Play. With an MLB.TV Premium subscription, you can catch up on full-game archives and recaps from every 2014 regular-season and postseason game. And on April 6, you can watch Opening Day and follow the 2015 MLB season live (subject to blackout restrictions).


NBA Game Time and MLB.TV are now live in Google Play. Get them for Nexus Player and stay tuned as we continue to build out our live sports offering on Android TV.

Posted by Serge Kassardjian, Android Media Partnerships Lead
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Designing the perfect Lollipop.

If you’re like me, you jump between a number of different devices throughout the day—reading a magazine on your tablet, checking the time on your watch, chatting with your friend on the phone, even plotting your route in the car. More and more, our screens work together, each helping make your life a little bit easier. But if design is the way they communicate with us, it often feels like each one is speaking a different language. That’s why we unveiled material design earlier this year: one consistent design language flexible enough to span devices across mobile, desktop, and beyond. Design is a major focus for Lollipop—the latest version of Android—which begins to roll out today.

Material design: tactile surfaces, bold graphic design, fluid motion 
When you think about mobile, an important aspect is the feel of the devices in your hand. Because of this, touch is one of the primary elements of material design, which is inspired by real life materials like paper and ink.

With material design we also based our work on the foundations of good graphic design, using strong colors and bold typography to create clear hierarchy and focus attention on content.



Motion brings the material and the graphic together, explaining how the system works, and adding moments of delight that move you through the system, easily and fluidly.



Extending material design throughout the apps you love 
A number of apps that you know and love have been working hard to build material design into their framework. It is important that every app be able to take on its own unique personality and experience while fitting in the larger system. A few of our favorites are launching updates shortly:    

The Wall Street Journal, Tumblr and BuzzFeed with material design.


Bringing the design conversation to you 
While we first introduced material design this summer, today’s updates are just the beginning of delivering a modern design language for the next wave of devices in your life. It’s a conversation we’d like to keep going. Starting tomorrow, we’ll be gathering some of the best design thinkers from around the industry at FORM, a cultural event for wide-angle design conversation. And we’ll be continuing the conversation with you online, on Google+ and Twitter and at google.com/design. We look forward to working with you to help push the limits on what’s possible through design.

Posted by Nicholas Jitkoff, Designer
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