Hasbro Zynga partnership sees virtual and real worlds combine
The toy and game giant Hasbro has announced details of a deal with leading social game developer Zynga that will allow it to develop a range of physical products based on Zynga’s popular online games.
In a statement released by the two companies on Thursday, Hasbro’s president and CEO Brian Goldner said he was “thrilled” with the arrangement. “Zynga is bringing more games to mainstream culture and is redefining how people play,” he said. “At Hasbro, we’re proud to help bring their games to even more people around the world.”
Zynga’s founder and CEO, Mark Pincus, was equally effusive about the deal, saying, “It’s exciting to partner with Hasbro as we share a common vision for play and a mission to connect the world through games.”
He continued, “This partnership is so special because it represents an exciting leap forward in enabling people to connect their virtual and real worlds. Hasbro has inspired play through their famous toys, games and action figures and we look forward to working with a company that continually creates meaningful and fun brands.”
You could also add “potentially lucrative” to Pincus’s “special” and “exciting”. Zynga is the world’s largest social game developer boasting more than 227 million monthly active users. The four-year-old company is responsible for hits such as FarmVille, CityVille and Words With Friends. With a toy giant like Hasbro behind it, there’s no telling what riches await the two companies.
Zynga has grown fast in its short history, with its string of hit games played on smartphones and tablets, as well as on Facebook. Last month it announced that it had recently bought four mobile game companies in an effort to further increase its presence in the smartphone and tablet games market.
Another mobile game developer to shift its games from screens and into stores is Angry Birds maker Rovio. It sells a line of plush toys, branded baby merchandise and even a cookbook. The company even plans to open stores in China, a country where the bird-based game has a huge following.
As for the global partnership between Zynga and Hasbro, expect to see its products hit stores in the fall of this year.
This article was originally posted on Digital Trends
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