Acquisitions in the games industry have been on the rise for a few years. Microsoft, Tencent, and Embracer Group’s steadily growing umbrella of acquired studios have caught the attention of many. These practices have been going on for decades, but it seems like industry leaders are committing to them more each year. Heading into 2022, Take-Two Interactive seemingly plans to use this to buff out its presence on smartphones through a $12.7 billion USD acquisition of mobile developer Zynga. This deal would officially be the most expensive purchase in video game history, and with good reason.
Take-Two Interactive and Zynga are both giants. Take-Two owns several of the biggest video game developers in the west, including 2K Games and Rockstar Games. Zynga, meanwhile, is one of America’s largest social game developers, making hit titles for mobile and social networking platforms like FarmVille, Words With Friends, and Zynga Poker. This deal will supposedly benefit both companies, but it’s likely Take-Two wants Zynga’s mobile game experience for its own games. The company has noted several franchises Zynga could produce mobile entries for, and Take-Two’s full list of intellectual properties is rife with opportunity.
BioShock
The BioShock franchise has stalled for the time being as old staff moved on to various other projects. A new BioShock was in development as of 2019, but publisher 2K Games said it would be some time before it could be shown. However, Zynga would be able to work on smaller titles in the meantime, including ports of the original BioShock trilogy to mobile. The first game did get an iOS port in 2014, but that only contained the first few levels. It has been more than long enough for mobile technology to improve so people can play the entirety of these classic first-person shooter adventures on the go (outside of their Switch ports).
Sid Meier’s Civilization and XCOM
Two series in Take-Two’s library that are perfect for mobile are Sid Meier’s Civilization and XCOM. Both franchises already have entries available on mobile storefronts, but Zynga could handle future ports. Zynga’s development studios could also try their hands at creating their own entries for these strategy franchises, particularly Civilization, as it already has a lot of experience with settlement building via titles like FarmVille.
Grand Theft Auto and Mafia
Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto and 2K Games’ Mafia are both cut from the same cloth. They offer open-world experiences where players can live out a life of crime, and they are also ideal for mobile adaptations. Ports are possible, but it may be better to lean into GTA’s roots and create a new top-down adventure for mobile systems. An original title would certainly reflect well on Rockstar’s star franchise, or could drum up some excitement for Mafia.
L.A. Noire
Even if L.A. Noire has the expected open world, vehicles, and third-person shooting of other Rockstar titles, this game is chiefly a detective simulator in which players following 1940s detective Cole Phelps through his professional career. It is an engaging game, and its systems are perfect for mobile. Players could zoom in and closely examine crime scenes and suspects’ faces on their phones, and then follow along with simplified action sequences. Even if Zynga isn’t tasked with making a new L.A. Noire, if Rockstar ever greenlights a sequel then Zynga could be waiting in the wings to handle a mobile port.
Bully
Rockstar has released a few cult classics across its tenure, and among the ones fans want to see return is the unique Bully. Bully is an action-adventure game in which players take a juvenile delinquent through his involuntary school year in the fictional town of Bullworth. The game was notable for being a compact take on Grand Theft Auto’s formula, and for thoroughly adapting a boarding school setting in an interesting manner.
The lone game has already received a mobile port, but there is still plenty of room for Zynga to make its own take on Bullworth Academy. The old title's minigame classes could be part of a new mobile game’s focus, as well as managing the different cliques populating a school. Even if it wouldn’t be the true console sequel fans have been asking for, it could pave the way for one.