Draw Something dev acquired by Zynga

The social gaming giant just announced that it has acquired OMGPOP, developers of the app sensation, Draw Something.

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Have you played Draw Something? This addictive adaptation of Pictionary looks and feels like a Zynga game--especially when the game's microtransactions start appearing. (You can buy additional plays and additional colors, for example.)

But it isn't a Zynga game. Or, should we say, it wasn't a Zynga game. The social gaming giant just announced that it has acquired OMGPOP, developers of the app sensation.

"As a part of the Zynga family, OMGPOP will focus on building new mobile IP and strengthening its existing portfolio of fun and creative social games," the announcement notes.

"The OMGPOP team has created a game that's fun, expressive and engenders real social interaction," Zynga founder and CEO Mark Pincus said in a press release. "Draw Something has captured the imagination of millions of people around the world." He probably also muttered "why didn't we make this ourselves" under his breath.

It's no wonder Draw Something gained the attention of Zynga. Although the app is only six weeks old, it's already been downloaded 35 million times across both Android and iOS devices. More than one billion drawings have been created... in the last week alone.

Although the official announcement doesn't reveal the cost of the acquisition, All Things D reports that the company was purchased for a sum around $200 million. OMGPOP is certainly going to draw something: a big fat check for its employees.

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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  • reply
    March 21, 2012 12:30 PM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Draw Something dev acquired by Zynga.

    The social gaming giant just announced that it has acquired OMGPOP, developers of the app sensation, Draw Something.

    • reply
      March 21, 2012 12:39 PM

      Time to delete the game. An odd move tho, I guess buying them is easier than copying their work.

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        March 21, 2012 12:48 PM

        ^ tru fax.

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        March 21, 2012 1:32 PM

        An odd move? You're kidding, right? This is practically Zynga's M.O.

        If a game that isn't theirs reaches #1, step 1 is to buy it. If that fails, step 2 is to blatantly copy it. It's all they ever do.

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          March 21, 2012 3:43 PM

          Worked for Microsoft and Oracle (not that well).

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        March 21, 2012 3:41 PM

        Haha. The first minute I saw someone playing the game I thought. That's either zynga, or they're banking on selling it to them.

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        March 21, 2012 3:47 PM

        Why would you delete the game? It already has all of the annoying Zynga things: ads and microtransactions. What do you actually expect to change after Zynga acquires them other than the icon gaining the zynga logo?

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        March 21, 2012 4:41 PM

        If you enjoy playing it, why delete it?

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      March 21, 2012 5:00 PM

      [deleted]

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      March 21, 2012 5:19 PM

      I'm having fun making stupid character accounts with this and annoying random people. ChooChooo drew nothing but trains, Schr0dinger sticks to cats (randomly dead or alive).

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