"We recognize that there are players who have moved on from FarmVille," said Zynga vice president of gamesTim LeTourneau.
"We wanted to embrace what three years of technology has brought and reinvent FarmVille as if we were making it fresh today," he said.
" FarmVille 2" is the first Zynga game built entirely with immersive 3-D graphics and debuted in 16 languages -- including French, Arabic, Spanish and Chinese -- in an unprecedented nod to the original's international appeal.
"FarmVille is a flagship product for Zynga and a global phenomenon that has been transformative for social gaming," LeTourneau said.
Players tend to vivid virtual farms; planting seeds, watering and harvesting crops and even selling fruits, vegetables, crafts or baked goods at roadside stands.
"FarmVille 2 is an escape to a nostalgic place; a throwback to simpler times," LeTourneau said while demonstrating the game.
"We want to tell a story of you bringing this old family farm back to life and make you feel like you are part of this small village playing with your friends."
Players can raise chickens, goats or other livestock as well as crops. The game was designed to be "irresistibly touchable" with plants, animals and more going into action when the cursor passes over them.
"The goal is to create and run a thriving farm with your friends," LeTourneau said. "The bounty of the farm is ultimately what allows you to expand, and friends are the most powerful thing in the game."
The original FarmVille was released for play at Facebook in 2009 and boasted 83 million monthly users at the height of its popularity.
Now, FarmVille has 18.9 million monthly players, according to industry-tracker AppData.
Zynga has been under pressure to come up with fresh games to keep the attention of players.
Zynga games are free to play, with the company making money from ads or the sales of virtual items or ways to advance faster through levels.
The company's chief creative and chief operating officers left in August after Zynga reported a losing fiscal quarter.
Spirits have sunk at the San Francisco-based firm along with the stock price. The market has grown wary of social Internet firms after investors were burned during Facebook's debut as a publicly traded company.
Zynga rose to stardom by tailoring games for play by friends at Facebook and went on to create its own online playground at zynga.com.
Zynga shares were $2.92 at the close of trading Wednesday on the Nasdaq exchange. Zynga went public in December at $10 per share.
0 Comments