Associated Press
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
SAN FRANCISCO — Web game maker Zynga is trying to turn its digital playground into an even more entertaining place, working to prove wrong investors who doubt that it can build a long-lasting business.
Zynga unveiled features Tuesday that include a network designed to provide the more than 290 million players of its games with the same tools, whether they are competing on Facebook's online social network, a mobile device or the company's own website.
The network is called Zynga With Friends. That's a reference to one of Zynga's most popular games, the Scrabble-inspired Words With Friends.
Zynga also previewed several new games, including a food-themed title called ChefVille and a virtual house-building experience called the Ville. Those are the latest riffs on a franchise that began with FarmVille three years ago.
"These games have become something like hobbies for millions ...