Hasta La Gadget!

Zynga’s FarmVille was once very popular. You would receive dozens of requests from people on Facebook who played the game. It was designed in way that players often needed to request their friends on Facebook to join in just to progress beyond a certain stage. Zynga then released a mobile version in 2010 which was essentially meant as an alternative method to play the desktop version on mobile. The company abandoned it after two years. Now it has gone back to basics by launching a new title called FarmVille 2: Country Escape.

It offers the true FarmVille experience with animals, crops and more that players have long been accustomed to. However its no longer like previous incarnations. Zynga says that it developed this game from the ground up for mobile devices. Its no longer a way to play the desktop version of mobile. FarmVille 2: Country Escape is a bonafide mobile game, though players will be able to interact and share items with the desktop version.

The title is available as a free download from the App Store and Google Play Store, though it offers a variety of in-app purchases through which players can move through the game at bit quicker. Since its a proper mobile game FarmVille 2: Country Escape doesn’t require an internet connection to play and neither does it compel players to connect to the internet like the original version.

Former Microsoft executive Don Mattrick, who became Zynga’s CEO last July, has repeatedly said that the FarmVille franchise will play a major role in turning the country around. Lets see if this new title aids that objective in any significant way.

Zynga Goes Back To Basics With FarmVille 2: Country Escape , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Cellphones, Gaming, Tablets, zynga,

Zynga has gone through some rather tough times last year with the shedding of their workforce (up to 18%), but I suppose it makes sense that when one hits rock bottom, there is no where else to go but up. Zynga intends to make the most out of this year, where they have plans to introduce a trio of new and yet instantly recognizable mobile games. FarmVille 2: Country Escape might be another potential time sink, considering how the original FarmVille has already picked up 400 million users and happens to be one of Zynga’s most popular titles. The upcoming mobile version of Farmville’s sequel would require an Internet connection for you to enjoy it to the fullest, where it also offers the opportunity for offline play to boot. There are also Social Control options which would enable users to pick the way that they would like to socialize, be it on their own or with friends.

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Zynga Takes Mobile Route With FarmVille, Words With Friends original content from Ubergizmo.

The amount of news surrounding Bitcoin these days is just too much to ignore. After all it is related to money, and whenever money is concerned, you can bet there will be just as many people interested. For those learning about Bitcoin for the first time, it is essentially a virtual currency that is used digitally which also relies on cryptography to control its creation as well as transfer of the currency. Will Bitcoin eventually replace or provide an alternative form of currency to what we know today? That’s hard to tell but at the moment, interest in the virtual currency cannot be denied and it seems that Zynga wants to get on board with it.

In a post by Zynga in the r/bitcoin sub-reddit, the company announced that they will be testing Bitcoins as a payment option for some of its games on its website, meaning that if you play Zynga games on your phone or through Facebook, this is not applicable. The supported games include FarmVille 2, CastleVilla, ChefVille, Hidden Chronicles, Hidden Shadows, and CityVille. According to the company, “Zynga is always working to improve our customer experience by incorporating player feedback into our games. We look forward to hearing from our players about the Bitcoin test so we can continue in our efforts to provide the best possible gaming experience.”

Of course not everyone owns Bitcoins at the moment so we doubt there will be an influx of gamers looking to spend their Bitcoins on Zynga games, but it will be interesting to see the response. Who knows, perhaps Zynga’s lead will encourage other developers to start accepting Bitcoins for microtransactions in the future as well.

Zynga To Start Testing Bitcoin As A Payment Option original content from Ubergizmo.

Even if you don’t play this insanely popular game on Facebook, you’ve probably heard about it or have received a request from one of your Facebook friends. Right now, Candy Crush Saga is the most popular game being played on the world’s largest social network. It logged 9.7 million daily active users back in January, breaking FarmVille 2′s record of 8.7 million daily active users. U.K. based King is the developer of this game, and according to The Telegraph, it has filed for an initial public offering in U.S.A. King is seeking to go public and raise a ton of money in the process.

Thought to be the biggest IPO by a U.K. based technology company in years, King is expected to go public on the Nasdaq exchange. King has reportedly submitted the required S-1 paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission confidentially, which small companies are allowed to do under the JOBS Act. Twitter took the same route with its pre-IPO filing. The developer has reportedly held discussions with Bank of America, JP Morgan and Credit Suisse to lead the IPO. It will have a tough time convincing investors that it won’t go the way of Zynga, which has not only lost users, but has also lost revenue. Currently it has a market capitalization of $2.9 billion. As per the confidential filing, King is valued at $5 billion. No date or offer price is available at this point in time.

Candy Crush Saga Developer Apparently Files For IPO original content from Ubergizmo.

Earlier this summer, Zynga‘s previous CEO stepped down to make way for former Microsoft executive Don Mattrick, who has the substantial task of pulling the company from its dregs. As part of that task, Mattrick has reportedly made some restructuring changes and as a result three top executives will be resigning and leaving the company. […]