Zynga, already developing licensed mobile games based on Harry Potter, “Game of Thrones” and Star Wars, will seek additional deals based on long-term properties that bolster its roster of original IP, CEO Frank Gibeau said at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom conference in New York.

The game developer, best known for its “Words With Friends” and “Farmville” titles, will release Harry Potter and “Game of Thrones” games in the second half of this year with Star Wars due in 2020. It will continue to seek high-profile licenses that have dedicated fan bases, which helps reduce Zynga’s marketing costs, Gibeau said. Zynga also released “Wonka’s World of Candy” in November.

Since Gibeau’s arrival as CEO in 2016, Zynga has moved aggressively to license IP, while still developing original titles.  It recently purchased Finland-based Small Giant Games, best known for its “Empires & Puzzles” title.

“If you work with Apple and Google, a lot of customers flow into the licensed games from the app stores,” Gibeau said. “You also get a world with characters and narratives [with licenses] that you don’t have to create. These are decades-long intellectual properties that will continue going forward. The flash-in-the-pan, one-time movie doesn’t work so we are trying to stay away from those.”

Contact:

Zynga, Frank Gibeau, CEO, 855-449-9642, fgibeau@zynga.com