Zynga buys British mobile game maker Wonderland

Zynga on Wednesday announced that it has bought the British studio that created the popular iPhone, iPad, and iPod game "GodFinger."

The acquisition of Wonderland Software gives the San Francisco social game titan its first base of operations in Britain.

"Wonderland is composed of an amazingly talented, creative team, known for developing deeply engaging and innovative games," said Zynga senior vice president of mobile David Ko.

"I'm incredibly excited to have Wonderland join Zynga as we build a presence in the United Kingdom."

Zynga bought the Wonderland team and some of the two-year-old studio's intellectual property, but the deal did not include the rights to "GodFinger." The purchase price was not disclosed.

Wonderland chief executive Matthew Wiggins was appointed general manager of the studio, which was renamed Zynga Mobile UK, and reports to Ko.

"Wonderland Software has always been dedicated to pursuing big and creative ideas and turning them into games that players love," Wiggins said.

"We are thrilled to continue our vision as part of the Zynga family and to reach millions of mobile players across a spectrum of devices."

Zynga was founded in July 2007 by Mark Pincus, who named the startup after his late bulldog "Zinga."

Zynga boasts more than 250 million players, most of them at online social network Facebook. Its titles include FarmVille, Mafia Wars, CityVille, Café World, Zynga Poker, and Vampire Wars.

(c) 2011 AFP