Zynga made it rain on Astro Ape, three more mobile game makers in 2011

We all knew Zynga was on a buying spree in 2011, but clearly we didn't know the half of it. As it turns out, the CastleVille creator bought an additional four (not two) mobile game companies in 2011, Reuters reports. Zynga kept quiet about the purchases as it prepared for its initial public offering (IPO), which isn't performing as many would have hoped, having closed at $8.65 per share on Wednesday night.

Zynga mobile head David Ko confirmed all four purchases to Reuters, which occurred smack dab in the middle of its IPO filing. In reverse chronological order: Zynga bought Bielefeld, Germany-based ZombieSmash maker Gamedoctors in December, San Francisco-based Page44 Studios in September (which brought puzzler World of Goo to iOS), HipLogic in August (an Android developer also in San Francisco) and New York based Monsterz Revenge creator Astro Ape. Phew.

Of course, neither the terms nor prices of the deals were disclosed. But we do know that Zynga likes to buy its companies on the cheap. Zynga might have the majority of Facebook gamers in its clutches, but iPhone and Android phones are another story, hence the string of unannounced acquisitions. CEO Mark Pincus and crew know that they have lots of catching up to do with the likes of EA, Disney and Rovio in the mobile games world, and they're clearly will to spend however much it takes.

Are you surprised that Zynga purchased nearly 20 companies between 2010 and 2011? Will Zynga be able to dominate on mobile platforms, too, with these acquisitions? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.