Report: FarmVille developer opens new LA studio
Zynga plans new social network games at second satellite office
Mafia Wars and FarmVille developer Zynga is to open a new development studio in Marina Del Rey in the Los Angeles area.
The social games developer confirmed the news to website Gamasutra, with an unnamed spokesperson commenting that "Zynga LA will be very much like our Zynga East office in Baltimore where it will be a studio for our new games."
The new studio currently does not have a staff target, with the spokesperson simply stating that the company is "looking to expand and scale our talent as we grow."
Zynga East is headed by Civilization II designer and Big Huge Games co-founder Brian Reynolds. The firm's first satellite studio began with 12 to 15 employees and like the parent company is focused on creating new social network games, particularly those with a strategic bent, on Facebook and other platforms.
The focus of Zynga LA is currently unclear, although it is known to employ several veterans from established retail publishers, including Electronic Arts.
News of the new studio comes after Zynga raised USD 180 million in funding last December which, at the time, the company indicated would be used to fund growth and increase its liquidity.