Joystiq

Zynga's paid $300 per new user in the past nine months, says analyst

Mike Schramm — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:30:00 EST

Zynga has been struggling with its stock price since the IPO late last year, and Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia says there are more dark days ahead. When you compare Zynga's $120 million marketing budget to its recent rise in only 400,000 new players (about $300 a person), the numbers don't look good: "We know that, on average, these people are spending about $150 or so," says Bhatia, which suggests that Zynga is spending about $300 for every $150 in profit. "That math won't work for very long," obviously.

Zynga's spending is indicative of a few trends in social gaming. First, the company has discovered it's very hard to earn new players. Many of Zynga's games are similar, and without really experimenting, it's going to be hard to generate uniques. Second, Zynga's earnings are based on "whales": A small percentage of players who spend big. You need to find a lot of unique free-to-play players to land a few whales, and Bhatia doesn't see Zynga doing that lately.

So what's the solution? "Zynga will have to find their next FarmVille," says Bhatia. Until the company finds another phenomenally popular hit and the surge in new players that comes along with it (which is incredibly tough to do), Bhatia expects to see even more problems with Zynga and its stock.

Zynga's paid $300 per new user in the past nine months, says analyst originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nothin' but a $ Thang: Zynga partners with Dr. Dre for Mafia Wars promo

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 01:00:00 EST

Nothing quite says "family friendly" like West Coast gangsta rapper Dr. Dre, which is likely why social game magnate Zynga has inked a deal with the musician to crosspromote his forthcoming album, "Detox," within Mafia Wars. "Dre is a culture icon that has inspired generations of music lovers. We're huge music fans at Zynga and we know the players within Mafia Wars will love the chance to discover incredible music content while playing with their friends," Zynga CEO Mark Pincus noted in the bizarre announcement.

Aside from watching Dre's newest music video for the song "Kush" streaming in-game, players can enter the "Hustlin' wit Dre" area of the game to earn "limited edition goods" (with examples including headphones, a vintage car, and weapons). If that weren't enough, an "exclusive Dr. Dre video message" is somewhere hidden in the game as well -- we're holding out hope that it's actually just a live performance of "Nothin' But a G Thang."

Hey, it's not quite exploding armored cars in the Nevada desert, but it's a start, right, Dre?

Nothin' but a $ Thang: Zynga partners with Dr. Dre for Mafia Wars promo originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 18 Dec 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Facebook game roundup: Games.com Blog's Week in Review

Libe Goad — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 22:30:00 EST

When it comes to Facebook game news, features and tips, Joystiq sister site Games.com - The Blog! has you covered. Whether you're looking for info on the hottest new Facebook game, or you're just curious about your regulars, you'll find it at GDC-TB. Check out our biggest features of the week:

	Dragon Age Legends: BioWare's epic role-player goes social In order to tide you Dragon Age lovers over until the sequel arrives in March, BioWare plans to release a Facebook game a few months beforehand. Play it to unlock items in Dragon Age 2 and, once again, take on Darkspawn and other creatures you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. Or even a brightly lit alley.
	Mafia Wars Atlantic City swings onto iPhone Mafia Wars Atlantic City arrives on the iPhone, something totally separate from the regular iPhone version of the game. The game runs pretty smoothly, and we hope this serves as a sign that Zynga's getting closer to launching a fully-realized Mafia Wars companion app for iOS.
	Simply Hospital: The cure for the common Facebook game If you ever played any hospital tycoon game on PC, then this is the Facebook version of that same game. For social gamers who've been inundated with farming and pet simulation games, Simply Hospital makes for a welcome change of pace. Bonus for boys: The nurses have some real eye-popping assets.

Continue reading Facebook game roundup: Games.com Blog's Week in Review

Facebook game roundup: Games.com Blog's Week in Review originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mafia Wars trademark battle heats up with revealing Zynga letter made public

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Digital Chocolate is suing Zynga over its use of the name "Mafia Wars," an alleged trademark infringement -- this much we know. Last night, however, Joystiq acquired the full, 157-page complaint. The crux of the suit is Digital Chocolate's common law trademark claim to the name "Mafia Wars," though the company never formally registered the name (as Zynga did last summer).

In registering the trademark last July, Zynga claims under penalty of perjury that it has "belief no other person, firm, corporation or association has the right to use the mark in commerce, either in the identical form thereof or in such near resemblance thereto as to be likely ... to cause confusion, or to cause mistake, or to deceive." It's on this stipulation which Digital Chocolate hinges its lawsuit, and the company has proof that Zynga knew about DC's version of Mafia Wars.

Gallery: Digital Chocolate vs Zynga lawsuit documents

Continue reading Mafia Wars trademark battle heats up with revealing Zynga letter made public

Mafia Wars trademark battle heats up with revealing Zynga letter made public originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Digital Chocolate suing Zynga over Mafia Wars trademark

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:40:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Put down that Mafia Wars Slurpee! Trip Hawkins and his company Digital Chocolate claim that one of Zynga's biggest Facebook moneymakers isn't actually owned by Zynga -- in name, at least -- and he would really like you to quit giving them credit. According to Courthouse News, Digital Chocolate seeks to have Zynga "enjoined from using the Mafia Wars name," "ordered to deliver up all Mafia Wars products," and "engage in corrective advertising costing twice what Zynga spend promoting Mafia Wars." Which means you should stop drinking that Slurpee, like, right now.

Litigation is stemming from Digital Chocolate's previously trademarked mobile game of the same name, Mafia Wars, where players "must advance their characters through levels of a fictional crime syndicate by completing tasks." DC also claims that, in speaking with Zynga last year about the trademark rights, "Zynga attorneys responded with a letter promising to stop using the name." In its defense, a Zynga rep told Joystiq, "We are surprised and disappointed by Digital Chocolate's lawsuit. The timing of the action appears to be opportunistic, and we plan to defend ourselves vigorously."

The United States Patent and Trademark Office lists Zynga's first filing date for a game under the name "Mafia Wars" as July 1, 2009, though no filing under that name could be located with Digital Chocolate as the applicant. Digital Chocolate has not responded to requests for comment by press time.

Digital Chocolate suing Zynga over Mafia Wars trademark originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Zynga and 7-Eleven partner to bring game content to ice cream, Big Gulps

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 24 May 2010 21:00:00 EST

If the image above of FarmVille-themed ice cream wasn't telling enough, Zynga and 7-Eleven today announced a co-branding of various products in "nearly 7,000 7-Eleven stores in the US and Canada." In addition to the vanilla ice cream, Big Gulps and Slurpees featuring YoVille, FarmVille, and Mafia Wars are also available, all coming packed with redeemable codes for in-game items.

We've already received a handful of tips of the ice cream being spotted in 7-Eleven outlets, but the announcement indicates customers should be able to find the products everywhere by June 1, through July 15. The ice cream runs $2.29 per pint, while the Big Gulps and Slurpees range in price depending on the contents -- the shame of purchasing said products, however, that's priceless. We've listed all the in-game items and how to get them in real life below the fold.

Continue reading Zynga and 7-Eleven partner to bring game content to ice cream, Big Gulps

Zynga and 7-Eleven partner to bring game content to ice cream, Big Gulps originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 24 May 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Study: Average social gamer age is only 29 in the US

Mike Schramm — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 03:30:00 EST

If you think that those silly social games like Farmville and Mafia Wars are full of teenagers, you're only half right. The average player of social games is actually younger than previously believed, according to a new study, but a little older than teenage: 29 in the US and 27 in the EU. That's an interesting conclusion, especially since the average gamer is actually a little older than that (s/he was 30 a few years ago and has been getting steadily older since then), and most people believe that social gamers on Facebook tend to skew even older.

This survey by GamesIndustry.com, however, goes against that grain, and claims that while there are more females playing these games than males, they tend to be younger than expected. Peter Warman of that site says that the reason for this is that most such surveys don't poll any lower than age 18: "It is therefore not at all surprising that their average age is extraordinarily high ... Data from kids and teens is vital and should always be taken into account."

If these surveys aren't representing anyone below age 18, then it's possible gamers, especially those playing social games on Facebook and elsewhere, are even younger than anyone's guessed previously.

Study: Average social gamer age is only 29 in the US originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 03:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

GDC: MySpace making a push into games, hoping it'll be as popular as music

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:00:00 EST

While we've yet to meet those amongst you reppin' Farmville and swearing allegiance to Facebook, we worry that today's announcement of MySpace making a stronger push into the casual gaming market may stir those folks from their dismal, musty resting places. Alongside a revamped and relaunched gaming section on the site (the "MySpace Games Gallery"), co-president Mike Jones told GamesIndustry.biz that the company plans on pushing into the gaming world in the same way it's pushed into the music world. "Just as they use MySpace to discover and listen to music, I want them to use MySpace to discover and play games," he said in an interview this week.

One of the ways that Jones plans on implementing the new initiative is by making game suggestions to new users at the same time the site normally suggests music a new user might like. "We're making sure that when users sign up to MySpace, on the first screen after sign-up they have recommendations, which include games and bands -- at the same time ... that's getting the user initially seeded with the content." Unfortunately, though, Jones didn't say a peep about games that go a bit deeper than the standard Mafia Wars fare we've come to expect from social networks and their free-to-play games.

GDC: MySpace making a push into games, hoping it'll be as popular as music originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Zynga founder explains 'Facegroup' games to Charlie Rose

Mike Schramm — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:00:00 EST

Now hang on just a minute before you head off to the next post in search of funny game-related desserts or screenshots from that hot new blockbuster game. Charlie Rose is no Kevin Pereira, but the man's a broadcasting legend, so let's give him his due. And Zynga just raised $180 million for their social gaming empire, so it can buy and sell any number of your Pokemons. When Zynga founder Mark Pincus appears on the Charlie Rose Show, you whippersnappers should take a little notice!

After all, Zynga has not only been hiring up solid talent, but it also runs the bigger-than-you'd-believe Facebook games like Mafia Wars and FarmVille. Pincus tells the somewhat confused Rose that his company doesn't just want to roll in the venture cash; Zynga wants to create "an Internet treasure," and be recognized in the same way that brands like Google, Amazon, and Facebook are. You can watch the whole segment after the break. Bewarned: the video of two well-dressed men talking at a table doesn't feature any laser guns or girls in bikinis, but it does feature Rose holding up printouts of a virtual cafe created in his honor. Surreal.

Continue reading Zynga founder explains 'Facegroup' games to Charlie Rose

Zynga founder explains 'Facegroup' games to Charlie Rose originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Game-related startups raise $600 million in 2009, down 36%

Mike Schramm — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:15:00 EST

Game-related startup companies raised $600 million throughout 2009, according to GamesBeat's analysis. And while $600 million is a lot of money if you're, say, trying to sell a shooter based on the art of modern warfare, it's not quite that much when you're an up-and-coming game developer. Total investments in the field were actually down by 36% since last year. That's not a bubble bursting, but it does mean that startup investors might be a little more careful with their money in the year to come.

The biggest winners in the scene include Zynga, makers of Mafia Wars and a few other popular Facebook titles, who nabbed a big $180 million investment from a Russian technology company, and Playdom. You may not have played Sorority Life, the company's MySpace hit, but Lightspeed Venture Partners must have, because it invested $43 million in the company. If there's a theme here, it's social networking and online games: PopCap is probably the highest traditional game developer on the list, but even its $22.5 million investment was marked for putting its games on the web, mobile platforms, and social networks. Of course, that pull doesn't include the buck we gave them for Peggle.

Game-related startups raise $600 million in 2009, down 36% originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mafia Wars has pulled in 4 million

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:15:00 EST

Mafia Wars, the free web-based game on social media networks (and iPhone), has over 4 million players. Gamasutra reports that Zynga has doubled the number of daily players in the last three months. Zynga makes its money off microtransactions within games and believes the title is on its way to becoming "a cult classic."

That's not the only good news for Zynga lately. The company recently hired veteran game designer Brian Reynolds (Alpha Centauri, Rise of Nations) to fill the roll of "chief designer." Zynga is building itself quite the little empire.

Mafia Wars has pulled in 4 million originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

iPhone It In: Mafia Wars

Justin McElroy — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:00:00 EST

We're a little embarrassed at how much time we've sunk into the iPhone port of Facebook favorite Mafia Wars. At its heart, it's not really much of a game. But damn it if we can keep from compulsively tapping the thing every 15 minutes or so.

As a low-rent thug, you'll work your way up the ladder by completing jobs and then buying new weapons with the cash you earn. There is, however, no risk.

Continue reading iPhone It In: Mafia Wars

iPhone It In: Mafia Wars originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 May 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments