Zynga has introduced a new game, FarmVille 2, which the company says is an example of "next generation" social game. It's been available for Facebook users from Wednesday.
FarmVille, which was launched in 2009, catapulted Zynga to fame with its farming social game. But over years, the company has fallen off and this game is seen as an attempt to regain its former glory. The new game, apart from the similarity of the gaming title, is completely different from its predecessor.
"FarmVille 2" has an enriched 3D artwork of fields, animals, and buildings, compared to the 2D imagery of its predecessor. There will be no coins popping out in this new game, there is no requirement of clicking on crops or animals to yield results, just waving the mouse over them is enough. The quests in this new version concentrate more on "building an empire out of the wreckage of a neglected family farm," said The Los Angeles Times.
Wright Bagwell, vice president of design for the San Francisco social gaming giant said, "This is a complete re-imagining of the franchise."
At the game's peak, it had 83 million players which is now down to 18.2 million, said The San Francisco Chronicle.
"'FarmVille 2' was not intended to replace 'FarmVille.' Our goal was to create a game that was completely different than what's already out there. But 'FarmVille' is still a thriving game, and we'll continue to support it for as long as people want to play it," said Tim LeTourneau, Zynga's vice president of games to The Los Angeles Times.
The stock prices of Zynga have slumped from a high of $10 per share on December to a low of $2.83 on Tuesday. The company also lost its top executives in six months including its chief creative officer, chief operating officer and a number of studio vice presidents and general managers.
Apart from this, the company is beset with legal woes from Electronic Arts and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Co., reports The Los Angeles Times. The new game is designed using Flash 11 technology that makes farms look more realistic.
"Our goal was to create a new farming experience that takes advantage of the technology and the learning that we've had in the last couple of years," LeTourneau said.
Just how quickly devoted fans of Farmville will make the transition is not know; especially since virtual pieces can't make the jump.
"The biggest barrier for Zynga will be the fact that many players have hundreds, if not thousands of dollars invested in their original farm, and to walk away from that will be something that will take a lot of convincing," said Denise Angus FarmVille player who got to test the new game, reported USA Today. "I think a vast majority will in time walk away from the old and embrace the new."
