The creators of addictive online game FarmVille have launched a further development in their obsessive series of games.
Zynga, the company behind FarmVille and CityVille, has introduced RewardVille, which hands out game points and credits that can be used to buy virtual goodies for existing games.
It is the latest move from one of the internet's fastest -growing companies, which has attracted 250 million players since CEO Mark Pincus launched the San Francisco start-up in 2007. Most of the players connect via Facebook.
Zynga's games are simple, but getting ahead requires time and dedication. In CityVille, players start with a simple plot of land, roads and buildings, to which they can add businesses, farms and landmarks and invite friends to play and send them virtual gifts.
All games are free to play, but players can pay real money to buy special items or reach a higher level of play more quickly.
Zynga has grown so fast that it already has 1,500 employees and recently moved into a larger headquarters. The company makes most of its money through the sale of virtual items in its games, with the rest from advertising and partnerships with companies such as Netflix or Vistaprint.
"That's the fastest-growing media property in the history of the planet," said social media analyst Lou Kerner of Wedbush Morgan, who estimates Zynga's revenue will this year approach $850 million (£522m), up from $529 million (£325m) last year.
But Zynga has its sceptics, including game designer Ian Bogost, who believes Zynga's games are not about how well you can play or how much fun you have, but about how much effort or money you put in it. "I don't want to celebrate them just because they have a lot of users and make a lot of money," Mr Bogost said. He added that the company has been "very, very brazen about their business process. It turns your relationships into these resources that form the backbone of their business."
However, BTIG Research analyst Rich Greenfield believes media conglomerates such as Walt Disney and Time Warner should be worried because Zynga's lightning-fast ascent threatens to take people's attention away from TV sets, movies and other sources of entertainment.
"Media has been fragmenting, and Zynga seems to be doing the exact opposite," he said. It is growing at a staggering rate and reaching eyeballs that none of these companies are doing."
Zynga, the company behind FarmVille and CityVille, has introduced RewardVille, which hands out game points and credits that can be used to buy virtual goodies for existing games.
It is the latest move from one of the internet's fastest -growing companies, which has attracted 250 million players since CEO Mark Pincus launched the San Francisco start-up in 2007. Most of the players connect via Facebook.
Zynga's games are simple, but getting ahead requires time and dedication. In CityVille, players start with a simple plot of land, roads and buildings, to which they can add businesses, farms and landmarks and invite friends to play and send them virtual gifts.
All games are free to play, but players can pay real money to buy special items or reach a higher level of play more quickly.
Zynga has grown so fast that it already has 1,500 employees and recently moved into a larger headquarters. The company makes most of its money through the sale of virtual items in its games, with the rest from advertising and partnerships with companies such as Netflix or Vistaprint.
"That's the fastest-growing media property in the history of the planet," said social media analyst Lou Kerner of Wedbush Morgan, who estimates Zynga's revenue will this year approach $850 million (£522m), up from $529 million (£325m) last year.
But Zynga has its sceptics, including game designer Ian Bogost, who believes Zynga's games are not about how well you can play or how much fun you have, but about how much effort or money you put in it. "I don't want to celebrate them just because they have a lot of users and make a lot of money," Mr Bogost said. He added that the company has been "very, very brazen about their business process. It turns your relationships into these resources that form the backbone of their business."
However, BTIG Research analyst Rich Greenfield believes media conglomerates such as Walt Disney and Time Warner should be worried because Zynga's lightning-fast ascent threatens to take people's attention away from TV sets, movies and other sources of entertainment.
"Media has been fragmenting, and Zynga seems to be doing the exact opposite," he said. It is growing at a staggering rate and reaching eyeballs that none of these companies are doing."
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ReplyDeleteThanks for Zynga for making this game more exciting! Also for more info visit http://www.farmvillescoop.com
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