Zynga to Tackle NFL, Tiger Woods Mobile Games

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Zynga Sports 365. A new brand of the mobile/social juggernaut, Zynga Sports 365 was announced today as Zynga’s first real step into the world of sports video games. And as part of the announcement, they’ve …

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Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Zynga Sports 365. A new brand of the mobile/social juggernaut, Zynga Sports 365 was announced today as Zynga’s first real step into the world of sports video games. And as part of the announcement, they’ve prepared a bit of a doozy:

Their first two games will carry the NFL and Tiger Woods branding.

NFL Showdown, which was both announced and released today in select markets, “is a manager-style mobile-first simulation game that offers sports enthusiasts a unique social experience that delivers authenticity, accessibility and competition,” according to the press release. You can expect to see this one in a wide release before the start of the next football season.

We asked for screens, we got a logo. Tomato, To-mah-to.
We asked for screens, we got a logo. Tomato, To-mah-to.

Zynga’s yet-to-be-named foray into golf won’t be coming quite as quickly – they’re targeting 2015 for this one. “By combining Tiger Woods’ unparalleled golf insights with Zynga’s ability to create meaningful connections between players, we can develop truly unique social golf games that bring authenticity and accessibility to sports enthusiasts.”

Don’t worry – we have no idea what that means either.

Looking at the big picture, sports seems like a sensible move to make for Zynga. If they can produce some quality games, they might finally shatter the stigma that their brand seems guaranteed from core gamers. And besides – if EA can build a billion dollar empire on the back of John Madden, who’s to say Zynga can’t do the same with Tiger Woods?

Keep an eye out on your App Store over the next few days to see if you’re one of the lucky regions to get their hands on NFL Showdown first.

Jim Squires is the Editor-in-Chief of Gamezebo. Everything you see passes his eyes first, so we like to think of him as "the gatekeeper of cool stuff." He likes good games, great writing, and just can't say no to a hamburger. Also, he is not a bear.