Zynga, the social gaming company behind massively popular titles like FarmVille and Mafia Wars, doesn't need Facebook anymore — or at least not as much. The company, whose online games have heretofore only been available on Facebook, unveiled a new Zynga.com on Thursday, offering a standalone portal for gamers to access both Zynga titles and those from third-party developers. Zynga currently generates 12 percent of Facebook's revenue (the social network takes a 30 percent cut of every in-game transaction). Will this "revolutionary" step toward independence hurt Facebook's bottom line?
No. It helps both companies: You still have to use your Facebook log-in to play on Zynga.com, says AJ Glasser at Inside Social Games. And users will still be able to play Zynga games on Facebook. This is a win-win. Zynga gets to experiment with new games and features that Facebook can't handle, and Facebook remains deeply integrated with Zynga.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.