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Zynga has inked a deal to acquire OMGPOP, maker of the wildly popular "Draw Something," as well as 35 other social games. When it joins the Zynga fold, OMGPOP will focus on building new mobile products for Zynga. The purchase price is estimated at $200-$250 million. Based on what is known about OMGPOP’s financials, this appears to be a smart move for Zynga, said Raviv Turner, founder and CEO of Guerillapps.
Normally, the resolution of a video game’s story line — even one as popular as "Mass Effect 3" — would not be news outside the gaming sector. In this case, however, some fans are so disgruntled that they’ve lodged a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission alleging that Electronic Arts and BioWare engaged in false advertising.
Zynga is launching its own platform this month as a beta, with a number of features designed to lure players away from their comfort zone on Facebook. There is, for example, a way for players to meet and connect with other players — in other words, you don’t need a set of already-connected friends to play the games. The launch is part of Zynga’s larger strategy to loosen the ties that bind it to Facebook.
Zynga is spreading its wings beyond Facebook, the giant social network that made it a giant gaming network in its own right. Some 232 million Facebook users also use Zynga.
It has launched a new, independent gaming platform, Project Z. Other than the absence of Facebook, Project Z sounds as though it will operate very much in the same fashion as Zynga has to date.
Gaming fans pose two questions: First, "Why are Sony and Microsoft so worried about selling consoles? Can’t they just focus on games and online services?" and second, "In a world where digital media’s becoming popular, will online shops and downloads take down brick and mortar?"