Zynga games like Farmville may leave Facebook for Zynga Live social gaming network

14 May 2010

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Posted by:Josh

Reports around the Internet suggest that Zynga may be leaving Facebook after some pretty nasty behind the scenes infighting.

The relationship between the two companies is apparently at an all-time low and described as “intense” by one source according to TechCrunch.

There are several factors that have led to the tension, including:

* Facebook’s limitations on messaging users.
* Facebook forcing companies who use micro-transactions to switch to using the “Facebook Credits” system.
* Facebook charging a 30% fee (which some say is standard) with the credit system.
* Facebook trying to push Zynga into a longterm deal for “Farmville On Facebook” exclusivity . . .
* And punishing Zynga for not agreeing to their demands, such as shutting off Farmville notifications.
* Threats from both sides are high, including Zynga threatening to leave altogether and Facebook threatening to shut down all Zynga games permanently.

As you can see, things aren’t pretty. As a result, Zynga has already set-up Farmville.com web-site portal and is working on other platforms that they could switch to in case they do leave Facebook for good. That includes considering Myspace and Twitter as alternate platforms. Additionally, Zynga has been trying to get the e-mails of users so that they can make contact with their Facebook users OUTSIDE of Facebook. Zynga is also targeting mobile platforms as another means to rope in users outside of platforms, this includes mobile phones, iPod/iPod Touch, iPad, Zune and the like.

Although perhaps the biggest news of all, is a leaked letter to Zynga employees, in which they discuss their own platform called “Zynga Live”.

So all of this begs the question . . . what if Zynga does leave Facebook and starts their own Facebook-like social media+games portal aka “Zynga Live”? Would that be enough to make YOU switch from Facebook to the Farmville-supported web-site/portal?

As far as when the “sh*t” will hit the “fan”, it’s really anyone’s guess. According to one source, it could be tomorrow, it could be six months from now. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Via Crunch Tech