Branching out from the arcade, casino and simulation game styles that they’ve become so well-known for, Zynga has announced the launch of their first ever sporting title on mobile devices, NFL Showdown. The company, which is now recognised as the world’s largest social game developer, has made it very clear that they’re willing to step out of their comfort zone, in order to improve the quality of their mobile games and reach a greater target audience.
Source: http://www.insidemobileapps.com/2014/09/04/zyngas-nfl-showdown-launches-on-ios-android/
You may remember that just short of a year ago Zynga made some big new changes in management, employing the talents of new CEO Don Mattrick. Mattrick is well regarded in the industry for his previous work at Electronic Arts (EA Games) and has seen first-hand just how profitable sporting games can really be on iOS and Android devices. With the launch of NFL Showdown from Zynga, Mattrick employed the skills of some of his previous employees from EA, who are well and truly veterans when it comes to creating the perfect sporting title on mobile devices.
Mike Taramykin, Vice President of the new Zynga Sports 365 team, revealed just why Zynga has branched out into sporting titles, saying in a recent interview with Venture Beat, “Sports is one of the biggest money generators in the industry. But not enough people are trying out the mobile sports games.” Taramykin continued by saying, “We aren’t trying to compete with fantasy or replace somebody else’s console game. If I am an NFL fan, I am engaged with that every day or every week. You compete with your favorite players and favorite teams all year round even if there are not football teams playing in July. We have learned that fans don’t turn off their enthusiasm. We are trying to create games for sports fans that transcend the actual seasons.”
It seems as though the company that once had us addicted to the likes of Farmville is really stepping up their game. Always one step ahead of the competition, Zynga has big plans for future sports titles, now owning the rights to make mobile games under license from the National Football League.
After 5+ years in development, we're excited ... 
