David Ko

Zynga’s New Mobile Game Will Incorporate Location-Based Check-Ins

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on October 11, 2011 at 5:10 pm PT

Zynga unveiled a slate of 10 new products today, and mobile was a major theme.

Zynga’s All-New CityVille for Mobile Has Few Links to Facebook

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on June 15, 2011 at 1:00 pm PT

Today, Zynga is rolling out a mobile version of CityVille, the most popular game on Facebook. The game will be familiar to those who already play, except for a couple key differences.

Exclusive: Yahoo Mobile VP Michael Shim Headed to Groupon

Ina Fried in Mobile on January 28, 2011 at 9:29 am PT

In the latest executive departure to hit Yahoo, mobile business development head Michael Shim is leaving the company to join Groupon, Mobilized has learned.

Exclusive: Mickie Rosen to Join Yahoo as Audience Head

Kara Swisher in News on January 10, 2011 at 9:30 am PT

Yahoo is hiring former News Corp. and Disney online exec Mickie Rosen to run its Audience unit, which includes the Silicon Valley Internet giant’s powerful content sites, sources said. Rosen will report to Americas head Ross Levinsohn, who has worked with her before, both at News Corp. and Fuse Capital. The move is Levinsohn’s first management rejiggering since he took over last year, and there is likely to be more to come.

Zynga's Titles Invading Android Platform Soon

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on December 10, 2010 at 12:01 pm PT

Zynga will launch its popular Facebook game Mafia Wars for Android later this month, opening it up to the smartphone platform that is now activating 300,000 new customers a day.

Zynga Buys Newtoy to Expand Mobile Efforts

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on December 2, 2010 at 9:41 am PT

Zynga hosted a press conference this morning to announce that it has acquired Texas-based Newtoy, a two-year-old mobile games company, to help expand its games onto all mobile devices. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Exclusive: Yahoo Courts Former News Corp. Digital Exec Ross Levinsohn as U.S. Head

Kara Swisher in News on October 26, 2010 at 12:11 pm PT

He’s baaaaaack. Former Fox Interactive Media President Ross Levinsohn, that is, who is the top candidate to replace Hilary Schneider as Yahoo’s U.S. head, according to several sources close to the situation. While the deal is not completely struck, sources said Levinsohn is very close to taking the job as the exec primarily in charge of Yahoo’s powerful media properties and giant advertising business.

Exclusive: Yahoo's Head of Mobile, North America Leaves, as U.S. Unit Reorgs

Kara Swisher in News on October 19, 2010 at 5:03 pm PT

Today in Yahoo’s third-quarter earnings conference call, Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz said tersely of a flood of exec departures at the Silicon Valley Internet giant: “Some people leave, some get promoted and some good people arrive.” Yes, indeedy, and this afternoon, it was David Katz’s turn to say goodbye. He was Yahoo’s head of mobile in the U.S.

Exclusive: Yahoo's David Ko to Head Mobile at Online Gaming Powerhouse Zynga

Kara Swisher in News on October 4, 2010 at 9:11 am PT

David Ko, who just announced he was leaving Yahoo as head of its powerful U.S. Audience unit, is taking a job heading mobile efforts at hot social gaming start-up Zynga, according to sources. The move comes only a day after Jimmy Pitaro, who worked for Ko as head of Media at the Internet giant, landed at Disney as the new co-president of its Internet division. For Zynga, mobile is becoming a critical new platform for global growth, as consumers worldwide use a variety of increasingly functional mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers.

No Massive Reorg at Yahoo, But More Exec Departures (Plus the Schneider Goodbye Letter)

Kara Swisher in News on October 4, 2010 at 1:05 am PT

Sorry, folks, but–despite reports–Yahoo will not be unveiling another new organizational structure this week. In actuality, the beleaguered Internet giant is just cleaning up from last week’s shake-up–in which it announced that a chunk of its top media and sales leadership was leaving–as well as settling in new hires made in recent months by its relatively new product head, Blake Irving. In fact, those changes in Irving’s unit have resulted in the departure of two more execs. That would be former SVP of Media Products and Solutions Jeff Kinder and SVP for Cloud Computing Shelton Shugar, who are on their way out.