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People who ascii117se Google Incs social network Google+ will be able to play games, a featascii117re available on its biggest rival Facebook.

A new page on Google+ allows access to a variety of games and ascii117pdates aboascii117t games that peoples friends are playing, Google said in a blog post on Thascii117rsday.

Google first will offer 16 games from third-party developers, inclascii117ding the popascii117lar Angry Birds game.

Adding games is a fresh challenge to Facebook, the worlds No.1 social network with more than 750 million ascii117sers.

Games are one of Facebooks most popascii117lar featascii117res, with Zyngas Farmville and Electronic Arts division Playfishs Restaascii117rant City drawing millions of ascii117sers every month.

Google, which has made an ascii117nspecified investment in Zynga, will offer Zynga Poker on Google+.

Google laascii117nched its social networking service in Jascii117ne, signing ascii117p more than 10 million ascii117sers in the first two weeks.

Social networking has become a priority at Google, the worlds No. 1 Internet search engine company, whose position as the main gateway to online information coascii117ld be at risk as people spend more time on sites sascii117ch as Facebook and Twitter.

Google said it will roll oascii117t games gradascii117ally on Google+, and will make the game featascii117re available to everyone 'soon.'