Zynga is now focusing more on creating its own original games, moving away from using popular licensed titles. While games like Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells and Game of Thrones Slots Casino helped Zynga grow in the past, the company is now changing how it wants to grow in the future.
In an interview with The Game Business, CEO of Zynga Frank Gibeau shared more about this change. “It’s a pretty good portion of our portfolio, but it has been declining. Take-Two’s primary objective is to create intellectual properties that are wholly owned, and that is absolutely the bias at Zynga as well,” he said.
This means Zynga wants to work more on games it fully owns, rather than relying on outside brands. Licensed partnerships are still important, but Zynga prefers projects where it has full creative control.
Gibeau further adds: “That doesn’t mean that our partnerships with Harry Potter or Game of Thrones aren’t valuable, but as we look at new projects to greenlight, we can reach audiences without the benefit of a license probably cheaper and more efficiently, because much of reaching audiences now is about ad creative.”
One big reason for this change is how mobile game marketing works now. Advertising has become very fast and creative, with companies needing to test many ads quickly. But when using a licensed game, every ad must go through legal checks, which takes time.
Star Wars Hunters shutdown is a highlight of Zynga’s shift to original IPs
The move comes after Zynga announced shutting down Star Wars Hunters in October, the mobile and Switch game made with Lucasfilm. Although the game had good gameplay and favorable reviews, it didn’t match Zynga’s long-term business goals.
Gibeau made it clear that the game wasn’t a failure, but more of a learning experience. “We built a great tech base and a fun game, but it wasn’t a viable business,” he said. Even with a strong brand like Star Wars, the game had trouble keeping players engaged and making enough money.
Gibeau added that for every game that doesn’t reach its full potential, the team takes time to review and apply from the experience. This case may have pushed why Zynga is choosing to focus on original IPs where it has more control and freedom, rather than relying on external IPs moving forward.
