News Byte

Zynga Game Vets Raise $1.4 Million to Start Bee Cave Games

Bee Cave Games has raised $1.4 million in funding to build casino games. The Austin, Texas, company was founded by Erik Bethke, Nimai Malle and Jeremy Strauser, all of whom worked at Zynga on games, including Mafia Wars, Texas Hold’em Poker and Bingo. The round was funded in part by its own employees and from publicly held Glu Mobile. The company’s first game, Blackjack Casino, is in private beta on Facebook, and there are mobile versions under development.

Zynga, Electronic Arts Shutting Down Games on Facebook

Zynga closes PetVille, Mafia Wars 2, ForestVille, Vampire Wars and Indiana Jones Adventure World, while Electronic Arts chops Monopoly Millionaires and World Series Superstars.

Why Zynga Is Foreclosing on The Ville After Four Months on the Market

Zynga decides to yank resources from The Ville as it struggles to come up with a new Facebook hit.

Betting the Farm: Zynga Gives Its Top Facebook Game a Major Facelift

FarmVille 2 offers much better graphics and game play than the original, but will it be a hit?

Zynga’s Top-Performing Game? Yep, Still FarmVille.

FarmVille continues to be the company’s breadwinner, but other franchises, like Mafia Wars, have fallen off the charts.

Mafia Wars Creator Knows a Tough Guy When He Sees One

Mark didn’t get where he is by being a softie.

Roger Dickey, early Zynga employee and creator of Mafia Wars, referring to Mark Pincus

Zynga Makes Big Claims With IPO Only a Week Away

How about doubling the number of paying gamers? Done!

Big Fish’s Mystery Case Files Has Been Played by Millions — But It’s Not a Hit

Big Fish, the developer of casual games for PC and mobile, will launch its eighth episode of the franchise Mystery Case Files around Thanksgiving — but the title isn’t one of the company’s big hits.

Voices

Zynga Leans on Some Workers to Surrender Pre-IPO Shares

Zynga Inc. Chief Executive Mark Pincus often gave shares rather than high salaries to his top talent as he built his online-game start-up.

Casino Social Gaming Ringing Up Big Business on Facebook

Facebook games are often compared to gambling because of their addictive qualities. So what happens if you cut directly to the chase and build true casino games like slots, poker or bingo?