Zynga closed at least six social games in December, bringing its list of the fallen to 11 casualties.
TechCrunch compiled a list of Zynga games closed so far; the publisher has not released an official list, so it’s not entirely clear when certain mobile releases were pulled.
- PetVille – shut down December 30
- Mafia Wars 2 – shut down December 30
- FishVille – shut down December 5
- Vampire Wars – shut down December 5
- Treasure Isle – shut down December 5
- Indiana Jones Adventure World – closed to new players, shuts down January 14
- Mafia Wars Shakedown – pulled from app stores
- Forestville – pulled from app stores
- Montopia – shut down December 21
- Mojitomo – pulled from app stores
- Word Scramble Challenge – pulled from app stores
Although some shut downs were announced ahead of time, including Mafia Wars 2, others were something of a surprise – although the publisher began shedding titles in November. It’s still releasing new games, though.
The closures are just the latest manoeuvres in Zynga’s belt-tightening strategy. In October, it laid off staff and closed offices, and has taken steps to distance itself from Facebook, ending an historic dependence, and to re-focus on mobile, real-money gambling, and mid-core gaming.
Despite these efforts, its share price continues to fluctuate, and the company is presenting a poor face to the public, with staff departures too numerous to list, and the naming of leader Mark Pincus as one of Bloomberg’s worst CEO’s of 2012.
Thanks, GamesIndustry.
Comments
Post a Comment