By Andy Jones
In a collaboration of online games with real-world toy products, toy-maker Hasbro has partnered with social gaming giant Zynga.
As part of the deal that was announced on Thursday, Hasbro will develop toys and games based on Zynga titles, and will carry the stamp of the Farmville-maker- the
name and logo for which is a commemoration of the dog of founder Mark Pincus.
In a statement, Pincus said, "It's exciting to partner with Hasbro as we share a common vision for play and a mission to connect the world through games. This partnership is so special because it represents an exciting leap forward in enabling people to connect their virtual and real worlds."
Games by Zynga are available for free, but the San Fransisco-based firm earns its bucks by selling virtual in-game goods to players and by advertising. The game rose to prominence by tailoring games for friends to play at Facebook. Fueled by global popularity, Zynga is now building its own online community for players.
Zynga claims to be the itself world's biggest social games developer. It boasts of more than 227 million monthly active users of its games, which include hit games like FarmVille, CityVille, Mafia Wars, and Words With Friends.
Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner said, "Zynga is redefining how people play. This strategic alliance plays off of both Hasbro's and Zynga's proven strengths and is emblematic of the new innovations and new platforms we are creating across our entire gaming portfolio."
Zynga forayed into the stock market last December with a listing of $1 billion, and its stock started trading at $10 per share.
