Zynga bringing new Farmville, Words With Friends, Zynga Poker to mobile

Zynga is bringing new iterations of Farmville, Words With Friends and Zynga Poker to mobile devices this year, according to a post on the company blog from COO Clive Downie.

FarmVille 2: Country Escape, FarmVille, New Words With Friends and New Zynga Poker will launch in select markets "soon" and will go worldwide in the coming months, wrote Downie, who left DeNa West to join Zynga last October.

The next FarmVille, a series that has amassed an audience of 400 million players according to Downie, includes a Connect Rewards system that allows players to share some content between the current web version of FarmVille and the mobile version. FarmVille 2: Country Escape can be played both online and offline and includes new social features allowing players to connect their games with those of other players.

The Zynga Poker and Words With Friends franchises have been played by 350 million and 100 million respectively, according to the post, and both new versions will provide updated iterations of these games. New Zynga Poker and New Words With Friends retain the same gameplay as their predecessors, but include new features built based on fan feedback.

Re/Code reports the New Words With Friends will require a new free download to access, but will be compatible with players' game history and current matches. Many of the game's paid power-ups are now free in this new version and paid power-ups will be hidden in a different menu. Both New Zynga Poker and FarmVille 2: Country Escape have been redesigned with different colors and quicker progression modes, allowing players to accomplish more in a shorter play session, like growing apple trees in 10 seconds.

"You have allowed us to become a part of your daily routine through our games like FarmVille, Zynga Poker and Words With Friends," Downie wrote. "We know these games in particular have struck a chord with many of you. You've not only spent time playing and sharing in these games, but you have also shared incredibly valuable feedback, helping us evolve these games over time in order to make them better for players around the world.

"These new mobile games are for you, by you," he added. "We listened closely to all of your feedback over the years and leveraged your insights to create new experiences that honor the games you've come to love, yet deliver the fresh unique features and gameplay you've been asking for."

In Feb. last year, Zynga founder Mark Pincus first announced the company's plans to bring FarmVille 2 to mobile devices. Throughout 2013 a number of executives departed the company, including co-founder Justin Waldron, COO David Ko, CTO Cadir Lee and chief people officer Colleen McCreary. In July, head of Interactive Entertainment at Microsoft Don Mattrick left the company for Zynga, less than two months after the reveal of the Xbox One. Amid promises of focusing on mobile gaming moving forward, in mid-2013 Zynga announced a major restructuring that would see 520 employees laid off worldwide and the closure of its studios in Dallas, Los Angeles and New York.

This past January, Zynga announced the acquisition of technology developer NaturalMotion for $527 million, as well as another round of layoffs meant to cut costs and "create a more efficient organization."