According to the Android Blog, you’ll see the option to create a profile and choose an avatar once you sign in to your first app with Google Play Games integration, or when you launch a brand-new game and connect your Play Games account.
As is often the case, Google says the new feature is coming in the “next few weeks.” I tried to trigger it myself and ran into an unusual bug: My Google Play Games profile remains hidden, no matter how many times I try to make it public (notice the time stamp below).
I haven’t seen this issue reported elsewhere, so there’s no telling just how widespread it is. If you happen to run into it yourself, give us a shout.
The impact on you: Google has put a lot of effort into appealing to gamers, with features like recording your gameplay and finding others nearby for multiplayer sessions. The new IDs takes this one step further, as you can now craft an identity better suited for gaming domination.