Google Market Rebranding as Google Play

I spent some time updating apps for Android last night on my Motorola DroidX.  I always read Android app market reviews before I update, as I have been burned on updates breaking something and/or losing a functionality that I find very useful.

Wow.  What’s really in a name?  A lot of the reviews for the Google Play Music (formerly Google Music) and the Google Play Books (formerly Books) seem to think their livelihood rides on one:

"New name and logo are horrendous. I’m not updating until its fixed.”
“New name is too long and sounds like its for kids.”
“…I do not like the kiddie name.”
“Play? Dumb name.”

Those are just a few of the intelligent reviews we will see on these apps.  And, the people who have made these reviews 2-star and lower because of the name change boggle my mind.  What is the problem here?  If they really had an issue with the name Google Play, then wouldn't they have an issue with a name as weird as, oh I don't know... Google?

Google Market rebranded as Play due in part to Apple’s claim to the term App Store.  And lets face it, Market is pretty generic these days in the smart device world.  I’m not sure where they came up with the name, and I don’t really care.  I can say, “I picked up this book off the Market yesterday…”  Which market?  Google/Android? Amazon? Barnes & Noble? Now I can say “I picked up this book off Play yesterday…” and everyone knows what I’m talking about.

It comes as no surprise to me that these changes come as Google implements its new policies which allow it to (hopefully) make more intelligent decisions on what information we get to see that we didn’t particularly ask for.  I’m sure there’s more to this as well, as it seems the gears in the heads of Googlers always seem to be spinning towards bringing us exciting new things as well as some laughable failures (I call them Google Giggles).

Today I hit the “Market” to look up some of these reviews for the blog I’m writing.  I put that in quotes because I hadn’t yet received the Android Market updates that go with this rebranding, but here’s what I got upon opening:

Upgrade to Google Play

Google Play Terms

Google Play Main Screen

Google Play Book Purchase

I also found that my home screen shortcut to Market was gone.  Checking my app drawer, looked for Google Play Store but didn’t find it there (my drawer being in alphabetical order).  A little further down… ah, there it is!  And, I also see Play Music, and Play Books, the new branding for Music and Books; and these apps look and seem so far to function exactly as their former selves:

App Drawer with Play Shortcuts

Play Books

Play Music

In my opinion: Sure, Play comes with the connotation of not getting any work done.  But many do read as a requirement to stay on top of their profession, so I don’t think that really works.  Not to mention, there is an abundance of apps available that help us with our jobs as well as our personal lives.  Personally, I think they should have gone with Google Goo, reflective of their privacy policy blending; or, Google Do, which runs more toward getting things done – reading, shopping, playing music, gaming, or what have you.

But my opinion on the name isn’t going to stop me from continuing to use these great services or incite me to gripe about them.

What are your thoughts?