But I don't understand why Google refuses to just offer this as a stand alone product for those of us who actually do enjoy this service, ya know.
The same reason you have to jump through hoops with third party tools to download apps from Google Play without using a Google-approved device. They want everyone to be fully immersed in the Google experience.
Because the value proposition is simple: provide an actually half-decent video conferencing solution as a way to boost G+ usage.
Have you tried a WebRTC service like Talky? It has anonymous, group video chats with screen sharing, room passwords, and persistent room URLs.