So one of my least favorite companies is suing one of my other least favorite companies. Hopefully their lawyers will run away with all the money and leave them both bankrupt...

http://news.yahoo.com/electronic-arts-sues-zynga-says-copied-sims-social-173859082--sector.html

Zynga is a company built on copying games, but they made a mistake copying off someone with the means to sue them. They should have just stuck to ripping off smaller indie mobile developers who couldn't afford to fight it.

I don't really keep track but I remember seeing Zynga profits were already massively down. But the more nails in the coffin the better.

Going from the article, it seems like Zynga is screwed. There's really no telling what will happen in the end, but my bet is they'll settle this one like all of the others. Even if there was no wrongdoing on Zynga's part (which I think is unlikely) it's very difficult to totally convince a judge/jury of that in a case like this, and settling is always easier. And of course that way the details of the agreement often don't get released, either.

I don't think EA can win this case. They were probably a little jealous about Samsung and Apple patent disuputes, but it's quite different area. They should also remember, that Zynga is much richer than EA and The Ville was FIRST.

EA is going to bend Zynga right over on this one. Furthermore, saying EA is even in the same ballpark with Zynga is just silly, EA doesn't always do great stuff but they've been hitting a pretty good average for being a decent big company in the past few years (it's wonder they even try with all the shit gamers give them no matter what they do), Zynga is nearly flat out evil. Zynga's stocks are in free fall, a rich company could buy them out at this point (napkin math, I could be wrong, but don't think so).

I can't believe am actually saying this but...GO EA!

Yeah, they released a weak earnings report and the company lost 42% of it's value in little more than a day. As a result of that, there are two class action lawsuits from angry shareholders who claim they were lied to and/or misled. If they can afford it, then yeah. But this is EA defending it's biggest franchise, and especially given that Zynga is about to be broke, I don't see how this is going to get settled quickly, if at all.

I don't know much about Zynga, but EA has the money and power to employ lawyers that know when a legal case has hopes or not.

EA probably knew this for a longer time and just waited for the right time. Now, that zynga is falling, they try to get some piece of the cake before it is gone.

Uhh... The Sims Social came out long before the Ville.

According to the internet, Sims Social came out in September 2011, and The Ville came out in July 2012.

I got a laugh out of this quote from a different article about the class action lawsuits;

"The lawsuit accused Zynga of concealing declines in users and the sale of virtual goods -- such as a cow in "FarmVille" -- the company's prime revenue source."

I don't know if that's just a badly worded sentence, or if cows in Farmville are really their primary revenue source. Either way they are screwed, as neither the game or its cows have a promising future.

http://news.yahoo.com/zynga-hit-twin-lawsuits-stock-carnage-003300242--sector.html

Yep. Or they are trying to increase the pressure to make sure _that_ the cake will go away.

Unfortunately, even if Zynga goes away, the Pandora's box that they opened (by integrating game design and micropayments into a pay-to-win philosophy) will stay open. There is too much cake to be had - if Zynga isn't there to eat it, I'm afraid others will take over.

Considering the bad numbers Zynga has released recently, I don't think that cake is really as tasty as people claim. Remember how people predicted every game from now on will be an MMO? Or that RTS is the dominant genre? Or how adventures are dead?

I'm fairly certain that the Zynga model will be only an option for "sidegames" on facebook, that people play who are bored at work, etc. I don't think that there is any danger for "us" gamers.

Have you forgotten? I am always right!

Their common payment model, ie: freemium or worse, paidmium is very much going to get its turn in more than just casual or mobile games.

EA have already admired its seductive curves and spoken of its allure after they went FTP with SWTOR. The 'free' multiplayer DLC for Mass Effect 3 is an awesome example of their intentions. They took the alluring Miss Freemium and mated her with a slot machine. You don't get to buy elite gear & classes outright, you just buy a better chance at the lotto. Fucking marvellous money making idea, and the fans eat up that 'free' baloney and gush with love.