Take-Two Interactive, which publishes “Grand Theft Auto” games, has acquired FarmVille maker Zynga for more than $12.7 billion, converting 11.2 billion euros.
It is the largest acquisition by a gaming company to date. The record was previously set by China’s Tencent, which bought smartphone game makers Clash of Clans for $10.2 billion.
Zynga had a hit in 2009 with “FarmVille”, where you have to run your own farm. The game was playable on Facebook, and at its peak it was played by 84 million people per month. The game closed its doors in 2020, but there is still a sequel available.
‘FarmVille’ was free to play, but players could pay money to speed up their progress. This put the company at the forefront of the so-called Free to playGames that are available for free and sell upgrades, such as Fortnite.
FarmVille, Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption
Through the acquisition, Zynga is now in the hands of one of the world’s largest game publishers. Take-Two Interactive is best known for “Grand Theft Auto” games, but is also responsible for games like “BioShock”, “Borderlands”, “Civilization” and “Red Dead Redemption”.
The two companies focus on very different players: Zynga makes titles for people who play a game on a smartphone, while Take-Two primarily focuses on more serious titles for PC and game consoles.
Maker Call of Duty did the same
‘Call of Duty’ publisher Activision-Blizzard did something similar in 2016 by acquiring smartphone game maker Candy Crush Saga. This company is now making the most money, Activision.
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