How To: Create a Gamertag in Google Play Games

Android's Google Play Games app has let you track your feats and accomplishments in the games you play for quite a while now, but for some, the immersion experience might be broken after you finish dominating a game only to see your regular-ass name from your Google account on the leaderboard.

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Most (if not all) other online gaming experiences let you create your own gamertag to use. It's just more fun to imagine that "ProfessorX-RayCharles" got the game-winning kill, or set a new high score, etc. Whatever it was, it was probably something that a dipshit named "Eric Ramsley" wouldn't have been able to do in real life. Unless someone's working on a game called "Blog Post Simulator" (if it turns out someone is working on that game, the creator should kindly direct his or her attention here—you'll need it).

Where was I? Oh, right. In late-February, Google Play Games has given users the opportunity to create an official Gamer ID. It's still tied to your regular Google account, so you won't need to create a new one.

How to Create a Gamer ID

Just open up the Google Play Games app on your device, and you should see your current ID—whichever Google account you use to sign into Google Play Games—at the top of the screen. Just tap on this, and on the next screen you should see an edit button in the top right that looks like a pencil.

You'll be prompted with a screen that asks if you'd like to create a Gamer ID; tap Next, and you'll be able to enter whichever tag you like. Keep in mind, the IDs are unique, so you'll have to add some numbers or change the spelling if someone's already taken your choice.

After you pick a name, you can decide whether your ID is public or private, and if you want other users to be able to associate your ID with your email address and real name. You'll also have a choice of more than 40 avatars to use as your profile picture.

Once you're done with all that, get playing and see how far up the leaderboards you can make it. To change your Gamer ID or avatar, simply repeat the process.