San Francisco — For gamers who are engrossed with smash hit games like FarmVille and CityVille, hold your breath as the online social gaming phenomenon has reached a new level. Zynga, the company that created those addictive online game, is introducing the gaming world to yet another obsessive series of games to keep on playing called “RewardVille”.
Zynga, the creator of FarmVille and CityVille, has introduced RewardVille, a new platform which distribute game points and credits that can be used to purchase virtual goodies for existing games on Facebook.
The new game being unleashed is called RewardVille, and it is designed to intentionally inspire players to become even more involved in their online farms, crime rings, cities and poker games.
Unfurled just a week ago, RewardVille will allow players to earn game points and credits and eventually “zCoins” which can be used to purchase virtual items across all of Zynga’s games like CityVille, Zynga Poker, FarmVille and FrontierVille.
“With RewardVille, our aim is to gratify players by rewarding them with new Zynga-level points and exclusive limited edition virtual items,” says Roy Sehgal, V.P. of Zynga.
Zynga games are free to play but users are given the option of purchasing virtual goods to enhance their in-game experience and reach high game-play levels quickly. The games are simple to play, but advancing through the level requires time and dedication.
For instance, in CityVille, players begin with a simple plot of land, roads and buildings. They can then beautify the empty landscape by adding businesses, farms and landmarks by simply dragging and clicking the mouse and invite friends to play and send them virtual gifts.
While an inventive creation, the developers have made it possible for the popular 500 million social media Facebook users to create their own cities, start businesses, create their own farms and maintain cattle and grow vegetables. Zynga’s games have seen massive user growth on Facebook, making it the fastest growing media company ever.
Despite people’s hectic schedules — they spare the time to take out to play a computer game, and Zynga’s overwhelming success in dominating people’s spare time has been extremely profitable, said the privately held company’s executives. Zynga is accountable for the more than 250 million players glued to Farmville, Zynga Poker and Mafia Wars, most of whom connect on social media Facebook and come largely from the United States and Indonesia — the world’s third and fourth most populous countries.
Zynga was only propelled into the gaming community spotlight in 2007, led by CEO Mark Pincus, and has flourished so fast that it already has 1,500 employees and recently moved into a larger headquarters to accommodate hundreds more.
“That is the fastest-growing media property in the history of the planet,” said social media analyst Lou Kerner of Wedbush Morgan, who estimates Zynga’s revenue will this year approach $850 million (£522m), up from $529 million (£325m) last year.
Zynga was valued at $10 billion after its last $500 million round of venture capital funding.
The company, which has development centers across the globe, garners most of its money through the sale of virtual items in its games, with the rest from advertising and partnerships with companies such as Netflix or Vistaprint
The company is also known for their philanthropy activities as well. According to AFP, recently they have raised more than $5 million for charitable causes through game play. $1 million was raised in 36 hours for Save the Children’s Japan relief efforts through user donations on purchases of virtual goods in Farmville, CityVille, Frontierville and other games.
Now if you are tempted ones — go on the Net: Zynga Reward ville.