Google’s latest Chrome game a modern take on Pong using Web cams

For its latest Chrome browser video game, Google Inc. has created a modern version of the classic arcade title Pong that lets users play against their friends over the Internet and see one another using Web cams.

The game is called “Cube Slam� and was released Wednesday. Like Pong, the point is to use paddles to direct balls at your friend’s wall and away from yours. Once a user hits his or her opponent’s wall three times with a ball, they win.

But unlike Pong, “Cube Slam� is filled with obstacles and power ups that enhance the game.

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To play the game, simply use a computer with a Web cam, open the Chrome Web browser and head to CubeSlam.com. There you can either play against the computer, which will appear as a bear, or you can choose to play against a friend. If you do, Google will create a link that you can send to your friend to get started.

Once the game gets going, you’ll see your friend’s face on the screen behind the field of play. If you’d prefer a classic Pong view, you can hit the “0� on your keyboard. Users can also play the game using Chrome on their smartphones and tablets, but they’ll be able to play only against the computer for now.

Since the beginning of the year, Google has been putting out new Chrome mini games every couple of weeks. Each game showcases the Web browser’s capabilities when it comes to gaming, and with “Cube Slam,� Google used technology that makes it possible for users to play a game using their Web camera without having to install any software first.

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