[ Developer]

New Android versions are always a cause for celebration as Google works some interesting new features into its mobile OS. Similarly, updates to Google Play Service must be met with an analogous sort of enthusiasm as Android app developers get more features to mess around with.

Google announced this week that Google Play Services 4.1 is now rolling out to users. It includes a necessary update to Android games while also adding in support for some oft-requested features.

First up, Google Play Games now supports turn-based multiplayer. While real-time multiplayer is usually better fitted to shooters and racing games, turn-based multiplayer is a must for RPGs and other games that require asynchronous multiplayer. With this latest update, Google Play Games will support turn-based multiplayer for as much as eight players. Additionally, each player’s turn data can be automatically uploaded to Google Play servers and distributed a number of the other players automatically.

If you are making non-game apps for Android, you’ll be pleased to understand that Google Play Services now includes native support for Google Drive. While the API is barely a developer preview, it will offer you a good idea of the way to integrate Google Drive into your apps.

As for ads, Google Play Services 4.1 now supports DoubleClick for Publishers, DoubleClick Ad Exchange and Search Ads for Mobile Apps. Developers may also be ready to utilize location based ads with the recent publisher-provided location API.

On a last note, Google Play Services 4.1 improves Google+ sharing. When sharing out of your app, users will now see better autocomplete and suggested recipients from Gmail contacts, device contacts and Google+.

If you should learn more, just hit up the Google Services page.

Image via Android Developers

Google Play Services Upgraded To Version 4.1 January 10, 2014