Zynga
Yet again Google tried to be smart and clandestinely invested around $100-$200 million in Mafia Wars developers Zynga (founded by Mark Pincus, Michael Luxton, Eric Schiermeyer, Justin Waldron, Andrew Trader, and Steve Schoettler) as part of its preparation to enter in the gaming world and to launch Google games platform later on this year.
Google itself — not its investment arm Google Ventures — closed the investment portion of its deal with the social games developer around a month ago, according to TechCrunch
Google tried to disclose the investment and hasn’t officially revealed any information about their new Platform Google Games, which might be coming at the end of this year.
Zynga, famous as social-networking developer has made quick moves in the recent years and been accused by Mob Wars for their famous multiplayer browser game Mafia Wars but yet again they’ve made a quick move by making FarmVille available to play through Microsoft’s gaming portal, and partnering with Yahoo to bring its titles to the Internet services company’s network (e.g. main homepage, Yahoo! Games)
Google’s investment in Zynga follows less than a month after the studio raised $147 million from Japanese telecommunications and media corporation Softbank in a Series D round of funding. It previously received $180 million last December, $29 million in July 2008, and $10 million in January 2008.
TechCrunch also reports that Zynga’s revenues will $350 million for the first half of 2010, and that half of that amount is operating profit. It also says that Zynga predicts its 2011 revenue will hit at least $1 billion.