Zynga returns to full-year profits for the first time in seven years
Net income up $138.4m year-on-year to $26.6m, daily active users reaches four-year high at 20 million
The ongoing recovery of casual games firm Zynga continues with the company's latest financial reports showing a long-awaited return to profitability.
For 2017, total company revenue reached $861.4m - a year-on-year increase of 16 per cent - while bookings rose by 13 per cent to $853.8m. Mobile accounted for 86 per cent of the total revenues, up from 77 per cent last year.
Net income was reported as $26.6m, a staggering increase of $134.8m over the previous year. This makes 2017 the first profitable year for Zynga since 2010.
Q4 2017 also saw Zynga's strongest revenues and bookings since Q1 2013. Revenue came in at $233.3m - up 22 per cent over last year - and a $18.3m increase over the firm's original forecast. Bookings reached $223.8m, up 11 per cent year-on-year.
Mobile remains the biggest area of the business. The firm enjoyed record mobile revenue and bookings that grew throughout the year, culminating in the best Q4 Zynga has seen in five years.
For the three months ended December 31st, mobile revenues came in at $203.6m - up 32 per cent year-on-year from $155m - and bookings reached $197m - up 18 per cent year-on-year from $167m. Net income came in at $12.9m.
Mobile performances were boosted somewhat by the successful launch of Words With Friends 2, which drove the franchise's best quarterly performance to date. Mobile revenue for the series were up 19 per cent year-on-year, while bookings were up 28 per cent.
CSR2 was also a big earner, with mobile revenue up 90 per cent year-on-year in Q4 and bookings up by 27 per cent. Zynga Poker also saw growth, with a 44 per cent improvement in revenues and 38 per cent in bookings. In fact, the latter game marked an all-time high on both counts - not a bad way to celebrate its tenth anniversary.
The acquisition of Peak Games' card studio was also highlighted as a contributor to this growth.
Zynga's audience across its portfolio has also grown, with daily active users up 24 per cent year-on-year to 20 million by the end of the quarter - the highest in four years. Monthly active users enjoyed 45 per cent growth year-on-year, ending 2017 at 76 million.
For Q1 2018, Zynga is forecasting revenues of $200m and bookings of $210m.