Google Buys SocialDeck adding to their spending spree

Google has longed to purchase mobile and social networking game developer SocialDeck, and finally achieved this at the end of August 2010. Taking yet another online company to the checkout.

The purchase was announced on the SocialDeck website, and marks the fifth buy for Google in August.

Within the last 5 weeks, Google has already snapped up companies including:

• visual search and recommendation firm Like.com,
• a social networking app-developer,
• payment firm Jambool,
• social gaming company Slide.com.

All of the buys so have been in the social networking and gaming arena, and SocialDeck exception.

SocialDeck develops games that run across platforms, letting users of different sites and handsets compete against each other. Earlier this year it announced one million downloads.

"We are excited to announce that someone found our social games as much as you have. SocialDeck has been acquired and we've joined the Google team," the firm said.

Google UK said that the SocialDeck team will be integrated into the business in Ontario where it will continue to work to its strengths.

"We are pleased and excited to welcome SocialDeck to Google, where they will be joining our engineering team in Waterloo and working with them on the social and mobile web," the firm said