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Report: Zynga worth $7-9 billion
The Wall Street Journal says that, with its $250 million in new funding, social gaming company Zynga could be worth as much as $7 to 9 billion -- that's "billion" with a B. An astounding number for the company behind the extraordinarily popular Facebook game Farmville. Zynga has a number of interests in the iOS space, including a Farmville app as well as the recent purchases of iPhone developers Newtoy and the studio behind Drop7. Of course, that number is only an estimate of the company's value, not actual money it's earned. But investors do expect the company to go public within the next few years, and given that Farmville has attracted an audience (and appears to have nailed down a way to make a significant amount of money from an all-new gaming audience), there's no question that Zynga is a huge relatively new force in the gaming space. Zynga is likely not done growing -- the company has picked up one developer per month over the past nine months, and I'll bet that we haven't heard of the last iPhone developer being acquired by them just yet. The iOS platform isn't the only reason for Zynga's huge valuation, but it certainly seems destined to play a part in its future. [via Mashable]
Zynga acquires Drop7 developer Area/Code
Area/Code's Drop7 was one of the first big games on the App Store, and it was even recently featured in the iOS indie bundle sale over the holidays. But the developer probably can't wear the indie label too proudly any more -- the studio has been acquired by social gaming giant Zynga, and will be renamed "Zynga New York." In a blog post on the website, the company doesn't really reveal what it's working on next, but it sounds like social gaming on a large scale will be the focus (right after, we hope, Drop7 gets ported into a social browser game, though they can leave the microtransactions out of it, thanks). This is of course the second big iOS-related acquisition (and rebranding) that Zynga has done, after it bought Words with Friends developer Newtoy earlier this year. I don't think this is the last buy we'll see Zynga make off of the App Store, either -- the company is flush with Farmville cash, and has been on the hunt for talented developers for a while. The only question is who they'll bring in next.
Drop7 dev Area/Code becomes 'Zynga New York'
New York City-based developer Area/Code Inc. is the newest part of Zynga's growing family. The studio will henceforth be known as "Zynga New York." Zynga chief game designer Brian Reynolds announced as much on his Twitter account, welcoming the new studio into the fold: "Introducing Zynga New York! Welcome to the family Area/Code!" A piece on Area/Code's website celebrates the acquisition, also confirming that Frank Lantz will stay on as creative director and Demetri Detsaridis as general manager -- co-founder Kevin Slavin seems to be out of the picture, with a comment stating he "remains nearby but focused on other new ventures." A statement from Zynga on its website echoes Area/Code's excitement."We recognize great talent, and Area/Code shares our passion for building lasting games that bring family and friends together for fun," it reads. Allow us to ask the first logical question, if you will -- when will Drop7 appear on Facebook?!
Plundr: Dangerous Shores' location-based gaming weighs anchor on the Nintendo DS
The main idea behind location-based gaming is to transform the city around you into a new setting that can be interacted with and explored. In Plundr's case, you're the captain of a pirate ship looking to pillage and swashbuckle your way to the top of the buccaneer chain. Using WiFi positioning to track your movements and superimpose landmarks over your neighborhood map, Plundr builds islands that you can set sail for and investigate. Taking a walk to that coffee shop two blocks away will bring up a trading post where you can buy spices and deliver goods. If you head over to the nearby park, there's a few unsuspecting merchant ships to test your cannons on.Developer area/code originally designed the title with laptops in mind, but working with the R4DS homebrew platform, the Manhattan-based company was able to port the game to our scurvy handheld and show off the fruits of its efforts at O'Reilly's Where 2.0 Conference late last May. Though we're still waiting to hear more about the clever game, these first shots of Plundr: Dangerous Shores that we scoured up will tide us over for now. Yarr!%Gallery-3607%[Via slavin fpo]
