Mafia Wars 2 Sleeps With the Fishes

[Andy Chalk]

Mafia Wars 2 Sleeps With the Fishes

Barely a year after it launched, Zynga has put a hit out on Mafia Wars 2.

In a message to players posted on Facebook, Zynga has announced that Mafia Wars 2 will take a dirt nap at the end of December. "We're sorry to inform you that Mafia Wars 2 on Facebook will be shutting down on December 30, 2012," the company wrote. "Thank you for your time in Mafia Wars 2. We look forward to seeing you again in other Zynga games."

It was almost exactly one year ago that concerns [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/114416-Zynga-Numbers-Flounder-Despite-New-Games] about Zynga's latest games, including Mafia Wars 2, began to surface, just ahead of the company's IPO. Analysts expressed concern that Zynga was having trouble retaining players, as its new releases were peaking and then fading away at ever-faster rates; Mafia Wars 2 topped out just eight days after its launch in October 2011 and now pulls in just 20,000 daily active users and 280,000 monthly active users.

That may not sound terrible but it pales in comparison to the original Mafia Wars, which is still in operation and draws 290,000 daily active users at 1.1 million monthly active users. Zynga's share price has followed a similar trajectory, from its IPO price of $10 to a current mark of $2.25.

Fortunately, Mafia Wars 2 fans aren't being left out in the cold completely. Zynga is offering all players a "one-time, complimentary bonus package" in CastleVille, ChefVille, FarmVille 2, YoVille or, of course, Mafia Wars. The final curtain falls on December 30.

Source: AppData [https://www.facebook.com/Mafiawars2]


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[Dr Jones]

THE HUMANITY, WHAT ARE WE TO PLAY NOW?!

In all seriousness I really don't care. Zynga games are just dreadfully boring to me (and I guess a lot of other people too, since this one had to close).

 

[Something Amyss]

I for one am relieved that this game that others enjoyed and did not harm or impact me in any way is going to be ending.

I eagerly await the death of other games that don't impact me and that other people like.

 

[gardian06]

Mafia Wars 2 Sleeps With the Fishes

Barely a year after it launched, Zynga has put a hit out on Mafia Wars 2.

Just when I thought I was in, They pull me back out again!

Hey, Fanky, Legs we got a couple of wise guys here. Perhaps we ot to teach um a lesson. Whatta ya say?

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Why won't Zynga just die already? They are in pain, sitting on Life Support. Be merciful and smother them.

 

[CJ1145]

Sometimes, life just works out. Casual games have their niche, but to every dumbass developer who badmouths the majority of their customers while lauding these things as the "future of gaming": suck it.

 

[Genocidicles]

What an appalling tragedy! However will I carry on in life, knowing that I'll never be able to play Mafia Wars 2 again?!

 

[Callate]

You've played one Skinner box...

Honestly, it's amazing Zynga manages to stay above water at all. Their very nature seems to be to count on their players' competitive instincts and desire to maintain artificial constructions to hold them through long periods with little to no improvement or expansion of content.

Combined with the nickel-and-diming profit generation techniques and out-and-out theft of other companies' ideas, the incentive to play one more cookie-cutter "game" becomes all but invisible.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Wait... what is there to even add to Mafia wars that would necessitate a sequel? It's a themed spreadsheet, and I mean that literally. I remember a knockoff of it that was about superheros and animated the fights between them, which was kind of cool, but beyond that there's not much to add to the formula.

 

[Beautiful End]

I somehow thought Mafia Wars 2 was gonna look like a Godfather The Game ripoff, not GTA ripoff.

Yeah, Godfather IS a GTA ripoff but you know...20s style.

At any rate, Zynga games are just bad. They're targeted towards people with their poor taste or no knowledge of good games. But to each their own...

 

[Evil Smurf]

I wonder when Zynga will "swim with the fishes" it can't be much longer.....

 

[Plucky]

Wait? there was a Mafia Wars 2!?

Allthough I'm not a Facebooker, the whole social gaming mechanic in Zynga is just plain annoying in some aspects, either see constant reminders that you can get friends to comb cows, or use money to recharge energy and get magical pixie robots to comb them for you for 20 dollars....


But in a Social Gaming market like that, it's obvious that only a handful of titles would be loved, whilst most fails to bring in a fraction of their money, in special cases if a company decides to make a sequel of a game they themselves produced to gather more money, they might bump into a certain situation [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FirstInstallmentWins].

Sort of like Ultima Online 2, Ragnarok Online 2 and even possibly Maplestory 2 if it ever gets out of development hell and outright confirm it's existence.


Now i just fear about the future about games with online aspects how they fare to their predecessors, such as Guild Wars 2. (no offense to anyone) 0,0