Zynga Move towards ‘Midcore’ Combative Games (ZNGA)

Social game maker, Zynga Inc. (NASDAQ: ZNGA), which is reeling under pressure due to shrinking active users’ base and flagging revenue amid rising competition, is focusing on ‘midcore’ combative games, in order to increase its mobile  time share.

Accordingly to USA Today, Zynga is now making a strategic shift. The Company is assigning more of its talent on developing “midcore” combative games as competition in mobile gaming heats up with more and more studio players joining the bandwagon.

Commenting over the strategic shift, Zynga’s Chief Executive, Mark Pincus said in an interview, “We could probably say that we have more working against new games in midcore than any other category…We have really moved some of our vast and most seasoned game makers over to midcore and mobile,” according to USA Times.

But what are ‘midcore’ games?

Zynga’s senior vice president of midcore games, Steve Parkis describes midcore games are those that “blend the depth of hardcore games, traditionally played on a PC or console, with the approachability and accessibility of casual games that are mobile, free-to-play and social.”

Time will tell whether the move to introduce more ‘midcore’ combative games on mobile platform will be successful or not; however, at this juncture it’s very important for the beleaguered social game maker to search new revenue streams if it wants to regain investors’ faith.

Zynga, which made an IPO at $10, slumped more than 60% in the preceding year and is now trading under $3.50

Industry analysts believe that if Zynga has to improve its top line growth then it quickly needs to bring out popular titles in the market.

Earlier in April, Zynga said that its active users’ base contracted 13% to 253 million, in the fiscal first quarter, which was the lowest level  recorded after it reached an all –time- high of 331 million, at the end of the third quarter in 2012. Back then the Company also provided downbeat guidance for the current quarter. The Company is expected to report second quarter results on July22.