Zynga Is Paying $200 Million for a Pictionary Clone
Zynga, the company known for ripping off well-known games and calling them their own, is buying OMGPOP, a company that broke into the big time by ripping off Pictionary. And who can blame them? In the month since it launched "Draw Something," OMGPOP has gone from a relatively unknown mobile gamemaker to one of the hottest commodities in Silicon Valley.
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AllThingsD's Peter Kafka confirmed the $200 million purchase on Wednesday and called Draw Something "astonishingly popular" noting, "the iPhone app sits atop iTunes 'top paid' and 'top free' lists, which is very unusual. Even more unusual: It is also the top grossing app at iTunes, based in large part on in-app purchases players make." Kafka adds that his sources say OMGPOP is taking home $250,000 a day. That sounds pretty popular! You know what else is really popular? Pictionary. In February, Kafka described Draw Something as "essentially a mobile version" of the post-dinner party game night classic. All we need now is someone to figure out how to use the iPhone's gyroscope in building a ripoff of Charades. That or turn an iPhone game into a teevee gameshow.
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