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Zynga Launches “1 Word” Game on Kik, Sues Bang with Friends
Zynga announced that it will not be pursuing real-money gaming in the US. Though this may sound like a crazy move for a company that’s been wallowing in misery since its IPO, it’s decided that it wouldn’t be able to compete with the high level of competition in the US, while its gambling restrictions would also hinder its progress.
Zynga instead plans to focus its real-money gaming efforts in the United Kingdom, where online gambling laws are far more easy-going. As for the US, the company will continue to provide its free-to-play offerings while pursuing a license for real-money gaming in the hopes of launching at some point in the future.
While Zynga re-evaluates its US plans, it has separately forged a partnership with Kik, a messaging app created by University of Waterloo students, launching an in-app game for the platform. The game, called “1 Word”, allows Kik users to compete with each other to solve clues based on pictures, kind of like “4 Pics 1 Word” by LOTUM GmbH.
Gaming on messenger apps seems to be a lucrative space these days, as South Korea’s KakaoTalk demonstrated by accumulating 300 million game subscriptions in the space of a year. Others are following Kakao’s footsteps, such as China’s WeChat, who recently launched LinkLink – a game that can be played with WeChat or QQ friends on Android devices.
In what’s proving to be a busy day at the office for Zynga, the company has also sued the makers of Bang with Friends, the controversial app that lets you find which of your Facebook friends is interested in engaging in casual sex with you.
According to the complaint filed by Zynga, the makers of the app infringed upon its trademarks for social games such as “Words With Friends” and “Chess With Friends.”
The company “selected the name ‘Bang With Friends’ for its casual sex matchmaking app with Zynga’s game trademarks fully in mind,” according to the complaint.
Zynga is seeking to ban Bang with Friends being used in connection with any social apps in the US, while it’s also hoping to claim unspecified damages.
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