Zynga (ZNGA) is tapping its library of shuttered desktop/web games to increase its mobile games portfolio. After shutting down the Facebook (FB) version of Mafia Wars in June 2016, Zynga soft-launched a mobile version of it last month. The resurrection of a dead desktop/web game is not that Zynga has run out of ideas. It is an attempt to monetize the former Facebook players of Mafia Wars.
The condolences that went with Zynga’s shutdown of Mafia Wars last year were never permanent. The dead has risen and mobile players might just make Mafia Wars a top line contributor once more for Zynga. With the weakening monetization of Dawn of Titans, Zynga needs new mobile games to augment its revenue.
(Source: Facebook)
The soft-launched or beta version of Mafia Wars for Android and iOS is only available in Canada, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Indonesia. Zynga has also enabled in-app purchasing on the beta version of Mafia Wars on Android/iOS. The Android version has reached the 100k-500k download count threshold. ThinkGaming estimates the beta iPhone version of Mafia Wars is generating an average daily sales of $442 from Canadian players.
(Source: Motek Moyen)
Why Revive Mafia Wars?
Zynga is trying to monetize its Mafia Wars brand via nostalgia. At the height of its popularity, the web version of Mafia Wars had 45.5 million Monthly Active Users. Releasing a mobile version of Mafia Wars can probably still attract the attention of millions of players longing for the good old days. Mafia Wars, FarmVille and Zynga Poker are Zynga’s most valuable brands.
Attracting just 10% of that MAU on mobile could generate notable monthly sales. In spite of its simple gameplay, Mafia Wars' multiplayer, group-based, Player-Versus-Player combat is very satisfactory. Getting 5 million monthly active users with 10% of them each spending on average $10 could mean an extra $5 million in monthly bookings
