Zynga To Launch Its Own Gaming Platform

[WMDogma]

Zynga To Launch Its Own Gaming Platform

[img_inline src="http://cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/52/52993.jpg"]
Zynga is looking to offer an alternative to playing its titles on Facebook.

Despite some website [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/115804-Zynga-Sued-Over-Patent-Infringements], the social games company hopes to include third-party content along its current lineup of games including CastleVille, FarmVille, and Words with Friends (or as I like to call it, Words with Nemeses).

Two US Studios, Mobscience and Row Sham Bow (creators of Facebook games inFamous Anarchy and Woodland Heroes respectively) have already signed up to use Zynga's new service. Zynga's chief operating officer John Schappert has also promised that all "the technology and game development services that Zynga has built specifically for building and scaling social games," will be available to any interested third-party developer. In return for providing its framework to third-parties, Zynga will be taking a cut of any virtual items sold through its site.

Zynga won't entirely be jumping ship from Facebook, however. Currently, about 90 perecent of Zynga's income comes from microtransactions done through Facebook, and its current payment system for Zynga.com will be Facebook credits, which will continue to give Facebook a cut of the action for each transaction.

Source: Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-03-01-zynga-announces-its-own-games-portal]

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[Jamane]

... actualy that could be a good idea. they inexpensively acuire a new way to expand their player base (to sponge up some of those people who don't have facebook, I hear they do exist) and have companies paying to use their service... could be really good

 

[intheweeds]

Problems as I see them:

1) If you have to pay with facebook credits, doesn't that mean you need facebook either way? How is going to a separate site to play social games better than just playing the damn things on facebook where they already exist? Who is this 'services' target market anyway? I mean that isn't already able to access these games in an easier fashion?

2) So they 'sell' their platform to developers for royalties forever when they sign up to be included in this 'service'? Why would any dev want to sign up for that? Especially when they take into consideration problem 1.

 

[Nu-Hir]

As long as people stop sending me those stupid game requests, I'm all for it.

 

[Lunar Templar]

hehe

my first though upon reading the title

'who they ripping off now?'

after reading

'meh, and not a single fuck was given'

 

[gigastar]

If you have to pay with facebook credits, doesn't that mean you need facebook either way?

They plan to change from facebook credits to thier own virtual currency. I think this was a rumor before but if they really want to disjoint themselves from facebook like that then they will have to do it.

How is going to a separate site to play social games better than just playing the damn things on facebook where they already exist?

Not everyone likes facebook. Hell ive even seen facebook users being driven away by theese recent and upcoming updates to the site that im told are very bad.

That and facebook is not a games platform first, maybe Zynga wants to create something with gaming at its heart rather than somewhere where you can put all your personal details on open display for anyone to see.

Who is this 'services' target market anyway? I mean that isn't already able to access these games in an easier fashion?

Theoretically with this, Zynga is either aiming at thin air hoping to hit something that will offset its inevitable doom, or is trying to attract some internet users to thier games who simply dont want anything to do with facebook.

It is possible that Zynga is doing this so they dont have to pay anything to facebook for all the microtransactions thier games rake in.

As you could probably tell, im not a fan of either facebook or Zynga. I like to think i would, sever, cook and eat my entire right arm rather than signing up to facebook, with this i may have to extend that to playing Zynga games since Zynga games are no longer covered by my anti-facebook mantra.

 

[intheweeds]

If you have to pay with facebook credits, doesn't that mean you need facebook either way?

They plan to change from facebook credits to thier own virtual currency. I think this was a rumor before but if they really want to disjoint themselves from facebook like that then they will have to do it.

How is going to a separate site to play social games better than just playing the damn things on facebook where they already exist?

Not everyone likes facebook. Hell ive even seen facebook users being driven away by theese recent and upcoming updates to the site that im told are very bad.

That and facebook is not a games platform first, maybe Zynga wants to create something with gaming at its heart rather than somewhere where you can put all your personal details on open display for anyone to see.

Who is this 'services' target market anyway? I mean that isn't already able to access these games in an easier fashion?

Theoretically with this, Zynga is either aiming at thin air hoping to hit something that will offset its inevitable doom, or is trying to attract some internet users to thier games who simply dont want anything to do with facebook.

It is possible that Zynga is doing this so they dont have to pay anything to facebook for all the microtransactions thier games rake in.

As you could probably tell, im not a fan of either facebook or Zynga. I like to think i would, sever, cook and eat my entire right arm rather than signing up to facebook, with this i may have to extend that to playing Zynga games since Zynga games are no longer covered by my anti-facebook mantra.

I opened my argument with facebook credits because the whole rest of the argument hinges on that. If you needed facebook credits, that means you use facebook - and if you do, why would you go to a separate site? If they do have their own currency, that certainly changes things. It may in fact open a broader market for them.

I am still skeptical of how large this market really is, though. I'm trying to imagine social gaming without a social network and I'm having a hard time (i don't see Zynga being able to start their own just for this), but I guess I don't know what they have planned. I suppose we'll have to wait and see.

 

[Lucem712]

When I read the title, I thought Zynga was coming out with it's own hand-held (for whatever reason). There are some people that are really addicted to Zynga games and if I was the boss, I'd develop that. That's where the money is!

1. Make addictive zynga games
2. Make Zynga hand-held
3. ???
4. PROFIT!

 

[bobmus]

Zynga leaving Facebook entirely would be terrible for both companies. What a stupid business move it would be to drop Facebook credits altogether.

 

[lRookiel]

Funny cause I'm looking for an alternative to playing your games at all.

Heroic!

And as someone said, if this can get people to stop inviting me to check out how their city/farm/club is doing then I'm all for it!

 

[robert022614]

It will probably be called water vapor.

 

[Cythen]

The money they make from Facebook users is crazy, it is smart of them to target the non-Facebook users

 

[Realitycrash]

Hahah, Zynga, the company about to go defunct? Oh, lawd.