Tag: Zynga.com

Zynga Moves To Further Detach Itself From Facebook

For the longest time, Zynga and Facebook were like two peas in a pod. That all started to unwind last year as Zynga moved to its own platform – Zynga.com. The two were still connected, however, as Zynga required players to use Facebook login on its own site. Now that last connection holding them together has been severed.

In an update on the company blog, Zynga says that it will no longer require users to have a Facebook account to play games on Zynga.com:

Starting next week, when you visit Zynga.com you will see a new streamlined signup that lets you create your own account just for playing games. We also wanted to make sure that existing Zynga.com players continue to have the best experience possible so you don’t have to start from scratch. All players will have the option to connect with Facebook and keep your game friends and game progress, while deciding what you share with your gaming community.

Zynga will retain all the social features on Zynga.com that were brought over from Facebook. Social Stream, Fast Load and Online Presence will now work within the confines of Zynga.com for those who don’t want to share their Facebook information with the site.

The social games maker is also putting out a new call for developers to join Zynga.com as a partner. Doing so will allow the developer to bring their games to Zynga’s guaranteed gamer audience instead of the hit-or-miss audience present on Facebook.

Now, all of this doesn’t mean that Zynga is completely severing ties with Facebook. To do so would be incredibly foolish, but Facebook as a games platform is starting to show signs of weakness. Most casual players are moving to mobile, and Zynga is betting on those who still play games on the Web want the kind of dedicated experience that can’t be found on Facebook.

It’s going to be interesting to see what role Zynga.com plays as the company attempts to make a profit this year. The move to mobile has definitely reduced its reliance on the Web, but a Web presence dedicated to just games could be immensely profitable for Zynga if its plays its cards right.

[h/t: TechCrunch]

March 22, 2013
Zynga Games About To Be Flooded With Foul-Mouthed 12-Year-Olds

While I don’t play Zynga’s games, I praise them for their simplistic take on competition. Players enjoy a single-player experience and let others know through charming Facebook posts that it’s the opponent’s turn or that they beat a high score. It’s non-threatening and conducive to a wholesome family environment.

In a move that will single-handedly destroy that wholesome environment, Zynga has decided to introduce live multiplayer into one of its titles. The first title to receive the update is Bubble Safari, a match three puzzle game. Now up to four players can play the game together competing for high scores.

Zynga apparently isn’t putting any safe guards on this one either as players can enter into quick matches with random strangers. While I doubt the people who play Bubble Safari are on the level of those you find in a Call of Duty match on Xbox Live, there are probably some bad apples in the Zynga grove that could ruin the game for everybody.

Thankfully, the only form of communication seems to be through regular text chat. That makes it easier for Zynga to block offensive comments that any particularly angry person can lobby at your mother or sexual orientation. Even then, it does nothing to stop the flow of immature jerks who make it their life goal to ruin your good time.

Zynga’s new live multiplayer is fortunately only available in Bubble Safari for now. I would hate to see what kind of fights would break out in Zynga Poker, Mafia Wars, or Farmville. I’m sure they’re testing it out on a relatively harmless game first to see if Zynga attracts the same kind of people that you wish you could just mute on Xbox Live.

With all that being said, I look forward to a future of hilarious griefing videos featuring Zynga’s games. If you want to get a head start, you can start playing Bubble Safari with its new multiplayers features right now for free.

June 26, 2012
Zynga.com, Now With More Facebook Ads and Sponsored Stories
Facebook ads are beginning to move offsite, and one of the most logical and unsurprising places to find them is Zynga.com. Nevertheless, it’s interesting to imagine how many other sites will begin to house Facebook ads and Sponsored Stories in the near future.

Today, the Facebook ads began appearing on Zynga.com, Zynga’s dedicated platform launched back in March which houses their own games as well as other popular games from other developers. Although Zynga.com was a move away from Facebook, the integration with the social network was still ever-present. Now, when you connect to your Facebook account on Zynga.com, you’ll see a couple of new ads on the bottom right-hand corner.

The ads resemble what you’d see on Facebook.com, as do the Sponsored Stories.

The ads say “sponsored,” but also contain a little Facebook icon so that they read “Facebook Sponsored”:

Facebook added an explanation of these news ads to their Help Center:
When you connect with Facebook on Zynga.com, you’ll see personalized ads and sponsored stories. The Facebook ads you see on Zynga are the same ads you see on Facebook.com.

You’ll only see sponsored stories about activity that has been shared with you

You can remove ads that don’t interest you by clicking the X

Facebook doesn’t sell information that tells advertisers who you are
Of course, one has to wonder if this is just the precursor to something much bigger – like an entire slew of Facebook ads on third-party websites. Josh Constine at TechCrunch points out that Facebook recently changed their terms to allow for the showing of regular ads offsite.
June 22, 2012