Zynga has released its Q3 earnings report, and the results are looking good. The mobile gaming company reported total revenue of $705 million, which is up 40% YOY, as well as bookings of $668 million, which is up 6% year-over-year. In addition to this positive news, Zynga also announced that it had hired a former Coca-Cola game executive as the new head of blockchain gaming in order to further expand its presence in the space. In this article, we take a look at Zynga’s impressive Q3 earnings report and what this new hire means for the future of blockchain gaming.
Zynga’s Q3 Earnings
Zynga, the company behind popular social games like FarmVille and Words With Friends, reported its earnings for Q3 today. The company brought in revenue of $884 million, up 2 percent year-over-year, and bookings of $1.14 billion, up 3 percent YOY.
“Our strong third-quarter results reflect the continued execution of our growth strategy,” said Zynga CEO Frank Gibeau in a prepared statement. “We are expanding our live services with new game launches, launching innovative ad products, and investing in emerging platforms like blockchain.”
One key area of focus for Zynga is blockchain gaming. The company has hired a former Coca-Cola executive as its new head of blockchain gaming. With this hire, Zynga is signaling its intention to get serious about blockchain gaming.
“The opportunity in blockchain gaming is to create experiences that are more fun, social, and rewarding for players,” said Gibeau. “We’re excited to welcome Jess to our team as we pursue this opportunity.”
The new head of blockchain gaming
In Zynga’s latest earnings report, the company announced that it had hired a former Coca-Cola game executive as the new head of blockchain gaming. This hire comes as the company looks to solidify its presence in the growing blockchain gaming space.
With over a decade of experience in the video game industry, David Ko will be tasked with leading Zynga’s strategy and execution in the blockchain gaming space. In his previous role at Coca-Cola, Ko was responsible for the creation and launch of Coca-Cola’s first mobile game. He also led the company’s investments in several high-profile mobile and social games startups.
“We are thrilled to have David join our team as we look to enter the exciting world of blockchain gaming,” said Zynga CEO Frank Gibeau. “David’s experience and knowledge will be invaluable as we explore new ways to bring our games to more players around the world.”
“I’m excited to join Zynga at such an important time in the company’s history,” said Ko. “I believe there is a great opportunity to leverage blockchain technology to create more engaging and compelling games for Zynga’s millions of players.”
Coca-Cola game executive
Zynga, the social gaming company behind Words With Friends and FarmVille, has hired a former Coca-Cola game executive as its new head of blockchain gaming. The company announced the hire in its Q4 earnings report today.
“We are excited to welcome Spencer (Spence) Merill to Zynga as our new Head of Blockchain Gaming,” said Zynga CEO Frank Gibeau. “As someone who has built and operated successful live services at scale, Spence brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our team that will be invaluable as we continue to expand our reach in interactive entertainment.”
Merrill was most recently the general manager of Coca-Cola’s mobile gaming business, which included the development of games such as Coca-Cola Tapper and Minute Maid Quest. He also led the team that launched CokeTV, an interactive streaming service for Coca-Cola vending machines. Prior to joining Coca-Cola, Merrill was a producer at Electronic Arts and Microsoft Game Studios.
Dean Takahashi Dean Takahashi is the founder of GamesIndustry.biz, where this article was originally published. VentureBeat contributed to this report.
Conclusion
Zynga’s Q3 earnings report is an impressive accomplishment, showing that the company is continuing to grow and innovate. The hiring of a former Coca-Cola game executive as the new head of blockchain gaming shows that they are also investing greatly in their future. With such strong growth and potential for even more innovation, it looks like Zynga will remain at the forefront of social gaming for some time to come.
