Video game holding company Take-Two Interactive Software owns numerous giant development studios, including Rockstar Games and 2K Games.Zyngais a social game developer famous for mobile titles and Facebook games. The two didn’t have much in common untilTake-Two Interactive acquired Zyngatoday.
The $12.7 billion USD acquisition deal was surprising to many fans of both companies. While unexpected, it makes some sense considering Take-Two seems to be interested in bringing some big game titles likeGrand Theft Auto,NBA 2K,BioShock, andRed Dead Redemptioninto the mobile gaming space. That appears to be the main motivation behind the acquisition, but as a result of it Take-Two now owns some of Zynga’s popular mobile titles as well.
RELATED:Grand Theft Auto Online Should Add Gang Warfare
FarmVille
Zynga’s largest franchiseFarmVillelaunched with a game that could only be played on Facebook in 2009. The social farming simulator quickly reached upwards of 10 million daily users and put Zynga on the map as Facebook’s main game developer. Since that original title, there are now seven uniqueFarmVillegames mostly available to play on mobile, while a few were available to play on Facebook until the death of Adobe Flash Player.FarmVillealso inspired the now-defunctCityVille, a social city-management simulator.
Words With Friends
Another popular Zynga franchise is a socialScrabble-style word-building game for mobile that allows players to connect with their friends online and compete digitally. Its asynchronous format allows players to take turns whenever they get a chance and simply wait for their opponent to make a move. The originalWords With Friendswas compatible on both mobile and Facebook, but the current versionWords With Friends 2is only playable on mobile. The popularity of the format inspired Zynga to create several spin-off game titles, includingCrossword With Friends,Chess With Friends,Hanging With Friends,Gems With Friends,Boggle With Friends, and more.
Zynga Poker
Zynga Poker, formerly calledTexas Hold ‘Em Poker, was the first game Facebook added to its platform in 2007. The game is online Texas Hold ‘Em-style poker, allowing players to compete online against other real players. The game offers casual, competitive, and tournament play, and is one of the most popular casino games on the market.Zynga Pokeroffers no opportunities to win real-world money, but players can spend real-world money nonetheless within-game purchases and microtransactions.
CSR Racing
CSR RacingandCSR Racing 2give players the ability to compete in virtual drag races against real-world opponents. Players can also race AI drivers, attempting to beat pre-set challengers in order to improve their rankings and move to higher tiers for better cars and cosmetics. Unlikeother racing games, players don’t actually drive inCSR; instead, they must master timed gear shifts and nitrous boosts to maximize their speed and control on the road.
Zynga also owns a few franchises based on licensed intellectual properties, likeHarry Potter: Puzzles and SpellsandGame of Thrones: Slot Casino.However, these are standard gem-matching and slot games reskinned to match their respective IPs, so it seems unlikely Take-Two Interactive will be interested in them. The main reason for the acquisition appears to beZynga turning Take-Two games into mobile ventures, not for Take-Two to take Zynga games to consoles. Still, the possibility is available.CSR Racingmay even be a great next-gen console game with the right team behind it. Take-Two already has plenty of experience with video game car racing thanks toGrand Theft Auto, so if anyZyngatitle will move to consoles, itCSRwould make sense.
