Zynga offering sneak peek at next-gen games

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Social network game giant Zynga announced changes Tuesday it hopes will bring more gamers on board. The company behind Farmville and Words With Friends has seen its stock drop significantly in recent weeks.

Zynga says this is a new chapter for the company. They are offering a stronger presence on smartphones, a way to integrate more players and more games.

Of course, new games were expected. Ruby Blast was launched last week. Elite Slots, Chefville and Farmville 2 are coming soon.

"We have a lot further to still go to deliver on our mission of connecting the world through games and that excites me," CEO Mark Pincus said.

Zynga announced it will make a stronger mobile push. As of Tuesday, the popular game Matching With Friends is available as a free app.

"The great thing about mobile is everyone has one and everyone carries it in their pockets and the audience is everyone, men and women, adults, children," Zynga spokesperson Adam Sussman said.

Players now have several devices to use.

"Regardless of where you are playing, you want to make sure you are connecting with your gaming friends, we call them "Z" friends," Zynga spokesperson Manuel Bronstein said. "Regardless of where you are playing, you want keep track of your scores, your rivalry with your friends, your challenges, your boards, so what we are trying to do is to unify that experience, make it very familiar across any place you play."

Zynga says it has 290 million monthly active users. All the games announced are meant to appeal to a broad audience, but a few may be attractive to women the way Pincus said the game Hidden Chronicles was.

"Women bring their social nature, their organic way of connecting with each other and friends," Zynga spokesperson Nathalie Lieber said.

Even more games will be added because Zynga has created a partnership program for game developers. The idea is to give developers more exposure through the vast Zynga network.

Zynga has taken quite a hit in the stock market recently. Investors hope the new games and add-ons will not only impress game players but Wall Street as well.

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facebook, zynga, video game, internet, social media, business, lyanne melendez

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