Tag: zynga

The mobile app development company is putting everything into resurrecting its social game.

Not too long ago, Zynga dominated the Facebook mobile gaming scene, with its hugely popular app called FarmVille, which was the social equivalent of what Candy Crush Saga has become, today.

That said, the flood of smartphone apps available to consumers has knocked the pins out from under the company.

The competition among mobile app development companies is tremendous, and leading hits has become a nearly impossible feat for the vast majority for firms. After having been king on Facebook, Zynga’s dominance has since eroded to a massive degree. Many would consider the company to be on the edge of altogether irrelevance. However, the company is now hoping to launch an effort that will send itself back up to the top of social and mobile gaming.

Mobile gaming enthusiasts will soon be able to find a second version of the game they loved, in FarmVille2.

Zynga is also hoping to reboot two of its old smartphone and tablet based apps, “Zynga Poker” and “Words With Friends”. Don Mattrick, the CEO of the mobile app development firm, has acknowledged that the last little while hasn’t been easy for the company, particularly due to the massive number of competitors in the race. However, he also feels that they are on their way to catching up, once more.

He explained that “You’ve got to keep innovating; you’ve got to give people things that cause them surprise and delight.” That said, he also went on to point out that “But the first thing you’ve got to do is get your content there.”

Mattrick is a veteran of Electronic Arts, having been an executive there. He had also previously run the Xbox division at Microsoft, before he left that osition in order to replace Zynga’s co-founder, Mark Pincus. Now, it is his intention to debut as Zynga’s CEO in San Francisco at an investor conference of Morgan Stanley. This new leadership will coincide with the company’s efforts to fulfill its promise to make a larger push into mobile gaming and, it hopes, to bring itself back to unquestionable relevancy.

Bitcoin could be used to pay for mobile games

Bitcoin is gaining ground as more companies take this form of digital currency more seriously. Mobile games developer Zynga is one of the companies that has recently announced its interest in Bitcoin. The company has announced that it will be conducting a payment test with Bitcoin as the major focus. The developer has teamed with BitPay, a Bitcoin service provider, and the two companies will be working to examine the possible uses of Bitcoin in mobile games.

Bitcoin popularity continues to rise

The current market value of Bitcoin stands at approximately $1,000. The value of the digital currency spiked after Zynga made its announcement. Bitcoin is notoriously volatile, however, as it is not regulated by any government or financial organization. As such, the value of Bitcoin can drop dramatically at any given time, or skyrocket depending on certain factors. A company like Zynga announcing its support for the digital currency, for example, can help the currency become more valuable.

In-game payments remain a focus of Zynga

The payment test will focus on Zynga’s mobile games, many of which are already quite popular with consumers. These games tend to include microtransactions, small payments that can be made to unlock additional content or new features in a mobile game. In-game purchases are quite common in mobile gaming, but relatively unpopular among consumers. Indeed, Zynga’s aggressive use of in-game purchases caused many people to abandon the company’s games, seeking out less expensive and more inclusive mobile games.

Volatility of Bitcoin may make it unpopular in gaming

Zynga is requesting that gamers provide feedback for its payment test. This feedback will be used to formulate a more cohesive payment strategy for the developer’s current and future games. Zynga has issued its support for Bitcoin because of the currency’s dramatic rise in popularity. The volatility of the currency may not win it any fans among consumers, however.