Google Begins Rolling Out Google+ APIs

Google has released its first set of APIs for developers creating games and apps on its Google+ platform. The initial release is focused only on retrieving public information from the Google+ community. The APIs, released last week, let developers access and load public profile information and public posts, as well as request permission from users to share their information with the developer. The release may be seen as minimal, but according to Google, it's just the first step in a program the company plans to build on together with its developers. "Nothing great is ever built in a vacuum so I’m excited to start the conversation about what the Google+ platform should look like," Google+'s Chris Chabot wrote in a public post. The company also revealed the standards and languages supported by its APIs. According to a blog post, libraries are provided for Java, GWT, Python, Ruby, PHP, Objective-C and .NET. Additionally, the company's API methods are RESTful HTTP requests that return JSON responses, and the platform uses OAuth 2 for secure user data access. Google+ launched its first crop of games last month consisting of sixteen titles. Unlike Facebook, Google+'s games and apps will be curated by Google itself, with the company describing its editorial mantra as quality before quantity.