DeNA, EA vet Clive Downie joins Zynga as COO

Clive Downie will become Zynga's chief operating officer effective Nov. 4, the social games company revealed today.

Downie previously served as CEO of DeNA West and, before that, vice president of marketing at Electronic Arts, where he oversaw franchises like Command & Conquer, FIFA, Need for Speed and Medal of Honor.

"Zynga challenged the status quo of entertainment and changed the game for our industry by bringing free, highly social games to mainstream audiences around the world," Downie said. "I joined Zynga because I believe it has the ability to unlock disruptive new ideas that span gaming genres, markets and services. Zynga's uniquely positioned inside a growing market to deliver consumers around the world an entertainment experience as beloved as their favorite TV show, movie or music."

Downie will report directly to Don Mattrick, who left Microsoft to became Zynga's CEO in June.

Zynga's COO position has been in flux recently. John Schappert resigned in August 2012. His replacement, David Ko, left in August 2013.