Google moves deeper into the entertainment space

Google has long since moved past its roots as a company focusing on Internet search, but in the past month or so, it has been demonstrating an increasing interest in the world of entertainment – raising some questions about its end game.

In mid-May, it launched the Google Music cloud storage system and a month earlier, reports suggested it YouTube arm was looking to add up to 20 'channels' of original, professionally produced content, which will fill between 5-10 hours per week. Now it has the games industry in its sites.

A job posting from the company has shown it's looking for a project manager at the previously unheard of "Games at Google" division. The ad promises candidates "a rare opportunity to grow a brand-new business."

It could be just a push to expand (and refine) the Android OS's gaming selection or a larger push into social gaming, but it's an interesting twist.

Also in the works these days is a reboot of the struggling Google TV product. Developers already are working with the system's next generation software push – one that reportedly will be built from the Android 3.1 base and will include a true Web browser instead of the tacked on one in the original device. Whether Google has made headway with the networks, though, is still unknown – and ultimately, that remains a key element to the system's success.

It's a series of steps that may not all be headed in the same direction, but when you're dealing with a company as far-reaching (and with pockets as deep) as Google, it's smart to keep an eye on which way the winds seem to be blowing.