“The game is better with friends, but that’s the player’s choice,” he says. In this regard, the most significant aspect of FarmVille 2 is the way it uses Facebook.įor one thing, the game can just be played in single player Anonymous mode something Knight says comes directly from user feedback. This approach is reflected in the game itself, which draws on the franchise’s fundamental gameplay of planting and harvesting crops, but also rethinks the underlying social interactions and employs cutting-edge monetisation techniques. “This is about growing and sustaining our audience,” explains Jonathan Knight, Zynga’s VP of Games, echoing a phrase that’s now a company mantra. The others are social casino ( Zynga Poker), racing ( CSR Racing), character simulation ( Clumsy Ninja) and the With Friends brand.įarmVille 2: Country Escape is a clever reboot for the social franchise Launched on iOS and Google Play and supporting 16 languages at launch, it’s the first new release from the revamped Zynga in what it defines as one of its core genres. With lifetime figures of over 400 million players and $1 billion in revenue, FarmVille still matters though, which is why the release of FarmVille 2: Country Escape is a “big deal” for Zynga. While, following a difficult period, Zynga has refreshed its management team - headlined by a new CEO and COO - and refocusing its output, particularly on mobile, where it’s reinforced its capabilities with the $527 million acquisition of NaturalMotion. Not only providing the rocket fuel for Zynga’s growth and eventual IPO, the time/resource management game also demonstrated the power of Facebook’s social graph as a gaming platform to reach millions of gamers who didn’t even consider themselves gamers.Ī lot has changed for both companies in the intervening period, however.įacebook has become a platform that’s less about playing games, and more about distributing games and connecting gamers. In June, it will be five years since FarmVille’s release shook up the world of casual gaming.
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