Imagine a “ville” at the end. Because we don’t have Photoshop handy.
Following EA’s announcement last week that their stock will be going free to play, Zynga have decided to do what they do best and copy EA launch an almost unprecedented title in Zyngaville – a game which will allow facebook users to control the company in exchange for buying stock.
CEO Mark Pincus said that in announcing the move they were “striking a blow for casual gaming. By putting our entire business model in the hands of bored parents and procrastinating office workers, we think that we can really turn this company around.”
The new game will allow users to take over most aspects of the company, such as hiring and firing employees, determining which words to append “ville” to, and splitting and distributing stock to employees to ensure that they don’t desert the company to more reputable developers. In order to speed up ones procession up the career tree, in-app purchases will allow players to buy titles such as “Lead Developer”, “Marketeer” and “CEO”. “How do you think I got this job?” said Pincus?
One of the more controversial aspects of the game involves its use, like all Zynga games, of social techniques on users’ friends’ facebook walls. Friends of those playing the game will be bombarded with requests for employment, ideas, and blood sacrifices to Pincus. Users will naturally be rewarded both with slowly increasing numbers as in other -villetitles, but also with stock from the company. It is estimated that, however, by the time of the game’s release the two will be roughly equitable
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