Following its acquisition under Take-Two Interactive, Zynga is now establishing a blockchain gaming team that will undoubtedly attempt to make NFT and cryptocurrency experiences at the forefront of their endeavors. Zynga is surveying partnerships and purchases of said blockchain firms to build out not one but several original NFT mobile games.
This comes off the month-long heels of Zynga and Forte's strategic partnership, which will see the two devising more economical strategies for blockchain gaming. It's clear Web3 as a formula is at the focal point of Zynga's future ambitions, not merely pushing into NFT gaming but going well beyond in building out better parameters for fun in the space with a specific eye on the mobile platform.
Vice President of Blockchain, Matt Wolf, explains to CoinDesk this very reality, "We're fully tuned up to acquisitions on the [Web3] game publisher side. We've got a long history of growth through acquisition." Wolf took up the position only last November, yet his targets and goals are clearly there, as Zynga gears up to amplify how blockchain gaming can be recognized.
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With core IP under its belt, including Zynga Poker, FarmVille, Words With Friends, and CSR Racing, Zynga has already built a library of well-kitted experiences that can very easily be molded into blockchain parameters. Even Wolf sees the potential in this move, despite being more inclined to make original experiences. He says:
"Probably not FarmVille right away, more along the lines of Mafia Wars. But to be inspired by that title, then build something that's bespoke and purpose-built to this particular cohort that's used to playing in a certain way, that's our short-term strategy."
Still, the NFT equation has in gaming been met with unanimous ire. Ubisoft, Konami, and others have all tried and failed to implement something fun with NFTs through their own gaming IP. Konami itself saw a $150,000 sale for its own Castlemania NFT iteration, which proves that the headlong dive into the crypto art space is merely but a cash grab and easy investment.
But Zynga wants to be different. Wolf details, "We are building our community seriously." As it stands, the mobile gaming giant only has around 15 employees under its blockchain gaming arm. Zynga vies to amplify that to about 100 within the near future, adding brazen talent to the group with producers, creative directors, and more.
In 2021, the company went on a spending spree, purchasing millions of such names as StarLark's Golf Rival, Echtra Games, and Chartboost. With Take-Two now as its overseer, along with a $12 billion acquisition in itself, Zynga has the capacity to develop some truly worthwhile experiences in the space of blockchain. The only question is how fans will meet these NFT and crypto games.
