zynga

In its painfully slow efforts to find independence outside of Facebook, Zynga announced today that it's making the Facebook log-in on its site optional.

That means, starting next week, gamers who want to play the games at Zynga.com won't need a Facebook account to do so. Currently, users have to log in to Facebook to play. It's a reminder that Zynga, which has been trying to remake itself into a gaming platform rather than just a game developer, still depends on Facebook as a platform.

Really, this doesn't change too much. Zynga is trying to … Read more

Zynga is trying to capitalize on the popularity of its drawing game Draw Something by launching a sequel, Draw Something 2, a game unveiled today in a tweet from Ryan Seacrest.

The American Idol host tweeted a "drawing" from the new Draw Something 2, quipping, "I somehow convinced them to give me #DrawSomething2 first...this may be the best Mariah & Randy have ever looked." … Read more

Silicon Valley firms are presenting a rare united front in an effort to end a political logjam that has blocked high-tech immigration reform.

In an unusual show of support that underscores how important the topic has become, executives from Facebook, Google, eBay and other major tech companies sent a letter today to President Obama and congressional leaders asking them to fix immigration law by the end of 2013. The current system is broken, they say, blaming visa shortages, long waits for green cards, and difficulties bringing spouses and children to the United States.

"Because our current immigration system is … Read more

There are those who adore playing Zynga's online games.

What else are they going to do? Work? Live? Love? Naked handstands in public?

Yet somehow the fascination of managing your own farm for fun has never seemed entirely entertaining to me. It's always felt like a social carbuncle.

Zynga VP Dan Porter, however, managed to entertain Wednesday night at a panel discussion in New York.

As Quartz so helpfully reports, he offered this rather beautiful nugget of joy: "Zynga is often accused of copying games, which is mostly true."

Porter was clear to explain what he … Read more

Five senior members of the Zynga Boston office, which the gaming company closed in October, have picked up the pieces and started anew.

Senior members of the Zynga Boston team announced today that their new mobile-gaming studio, Proletariat, is open for business. To commemorate the launch, the company announced its first title, Letter Rush.

According to Proletariat, Letter Rush will launch next week for the iPhone and iPad. The title will provide arcade-like gameplay on "the classic word-find mechanic." The title will support both single- and multiplayer gaming.

Zynga, which has been going through its fair share of … Read more

Zynga CEO Mark Pincus said the company is not trying to cash in on the existing hardcore gambling market with its foray into online gambling in the U.K. Instead, Zynga will focus on what it knows best -- making gambling games social.

This means displaying bragging rights for when you score big as well as letting your friends see when you don't.

"It makes it more exciting than when you're by yourself in an anonymous poker room," Pincus said during a Morgan Stanley conference in San Francisco today. He wouldn't say when the company … Read more

Zynga is shutting down its Baltimore office and consolidating its presence in Texas and New York, the company announced today.

The Baltimore closure, which affects about 1 percent of Zynga's roughly 3,000 employees, comes shortly after the company shut down the studio's CityVille 2 game.

Zynga offered the Baltimore employees a chance to transfer to other positions in the company, Zynga COO David Ko wrote in the blog post announcing the moves. About half of the approximately 30 Baltimore employees decided to stay.

Zynga will also consolidate teams in offices located in McKinney, Texas, with its downtown … Read more

Zynga and Electronic Arts have agreed to drop their lawsuits against each other, according to a court document filed today.

The two gaming companies had been throwing legal punches since August, when EA accused Zynga of ripping off one of its social games. Zynga countersued EA shortly thereafter, accusing EA of unfair hiring practices.

Both parties have decided to dismiss their cases with prejudice, according to the document, which means they can't file future lawsuits about the same accusations. The companies are picking up the tabs for their own legal fees.

Zynga confirmed that the suits were resolved but … Read more

Growing corn, tending chickens, and amassing a fortune of golden coins can be fun as a social media game, but how about watching a TV show about it?

Director Brett Ratner is taking a stab at exactly this. He is following in the footsteps of Angry Birds and producing a half-hour animated television series based on Zynga's Farmville, according to the Wall Street Journal.

"Farmville is one of the most exciting brands out there today and its cross-platform opportunities are endless," Ratner said in a statement. "I am thrilled to be expanding the brand with existing … Read more