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Zynga to Buy San Mateo Gaming Company

The deal to acquire the locally-based digital gaming studio and its roughly 20 employees was announced Monday.

 

San Mateo-based digital gaming studio A Bit Lucky and its roughly 20 local employees will soon become part of Zynga's San Francisco division, news outlets reported Monday.

A Bit of Lucky produces Facebook-based games, such as its most popular title, "Lucky Train."

Industry experts say this move is part of Zynga's efforts to move toward more "mid-core" gaming options, and splitting its main offerings between sophisticated, highly-produced, packaged games, and casual games like the popular Facebook games FarmVille and Words with Friends, for which Zynga is most widely known, according to an article in the San Jose Mercury.

Zynga recently hired John Tobias, co-creator of the popular Mortal Kombat series, to help develop their mid-core gaming business.

Zynga is also still wrapped up in litigation, after being sued by Redwood City-based Electronic Arts recently, allegedly for infringing on EA's copyrights by gleaning too many features from EA's popular Sims series in Zynga games. Zynga is also reportedly suing EA, stating that EA has breached prior agreements between the two companies on the hiring of former employees between the two companies.

 

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Bren May 19, 2013 at 06:49 pm
I see that I meant to type "...that connect us to the past," but I accidentally typedRead More "...and connect us to the past." I think my meaning came through, though. Yes, the world does not need another national chain retail store or restaurant, which is surely what they're planning to put in there.
CP May 19, 2013 at 02:22 pm
Yes Bren, agree with you....good point.....really what it seems to come down to is money vs. theRead More good of the community and richness of traditions. And all despite the Master Plan for that site in San Mateo that seems to require an ice skating rink or similar recreational facility AT THAT SITE, and all despite the fact the Ice Chalet would like to continue operations there. The Developer has made it difficult to impossible for any ice rink to operate there (tricky it seems)....so they can get a cookie cutter retail outlet in ? .....very, very sad for the youth of the community.
Bren May 17, 2013 at 10:09 am
I think the issue is much larger than whether children will experience stress. That ice rink is aRead More local institution, dating back at least to when Fashion Island was there. It's terrible for communities to lose so many landmarks and connect us to the past.
Anita Reimann April 29, 2013 at 11:43 am
Dear Ari, Thank you for your service to our community. It's wonderful that you are already making aRead More difference.