Zynga Re-Launches Website (ZNGA)

In a move which is seen as a significant step towards independence from Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB), social game maker, Zynga Inc (NASDAQ: ZNGA) re-launched its website, Zynga.com on Thursday.

Accordingly, gamers will not need to log on to Facebook anymore to play its games.

The re-launch of the San Francisco-based company’s own website is seen as yet another step towards gradual termination of exclusive partnership it once enjoyed with the social networking giant, Facebook.

Just last year, Facebook and Zynga announced that they agreed to alter an agreement, which offered Zynga exclusive rights on the Facebook’s platform.

Speaking to Reuters, Tim Catlin, general manager of Zynga.com,  said that gamers yearned for unique names which were not tied to their Facebook accounts, which shows real names.

“You had to use your Facebook account to play previously, but this is going to change going forward,” said Catlin while speaking to Reuters, adding that current players will be able to sign up with their Facebook accounts.

However, those players who are signing for the first time will not require Facebook accounts—a prerequisite for logging on to Zynga games, before the website was re-launched.

“We’ve been able to greatly streamline that process,” Catlin said of the new Zynga.com website, according to Reuters.

Founded in 2007, the maker of titles such as “FarmVille” “Words with Friends” showed staggering growth during initial stage thanks to its exclusive partnership with Facebook, which provided access to large number of users. There was time when Zynga derived 90% of its revenue though Facebook while Facebook received a cut of about 15% from the total income in the form of fees.

Nonetheless, as many players entered in social gaming business during the course of the time, Zynga started to lose its traction. In addition, Zynga’s very late adaptation to mobile business also impacted its top line.

As more as more users preferred playing games on smartphones and tablets, Zynga’s financials started to feel the pinch because its games were only available on Facebook’s platform, in the past.