• Bits Blog, Thursday, August 5, 2010 1:56 PM

Google has agreed to buy social game-maker Slide for $182 million, TechCrunch is reporting. What's more, "Sources also tell us that this is not the last move Google is going to be making to cobble together a serious social gaming and apps strategy to counter Facebook," the blog reports.

Meanwhile, sources of The New York Times said the purchase price is closer to $228 million. Either way, "The acquisition is one of the clearest signals yet that Google is planning moves into social networking. Google has also invested some $150 million in Zynga, the biggest online social gaming company, according to sources briefed on the investment." Google's plans to take on Facebook are no secret, and gaming is understood to be core to that mission. Earlier this week, sources told TechCrunch that Google has chosen VP Engineering Vic Gundotra to serve as "general in their war with Facebook." Along with Google's unconfirmed social platform Google Me, Gundotra's social efforts will likely revolve around gaming and music.

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