Zynga gained 6 million daily players in 2011, but ended with a $435M loss

Let's just put it this way: FarmVille and CityVille defiinitely aren't going anywhere. Zynga has reported its Q4 2011 earnings, the first financial quarter in which it was a public company, and in them $1.14 billion in yearly revenue, a 91 percent increase year-over-year. In other words, Zynga killed it financially in 2011, but it also did well in indoctrinating recruiting new players. Like, really well.

Between Q4 2010 and Q4 2011, Business Insider reports that Zynga assimilated 45 million more monthly and 6 million more daily players to a total of 240 million monthly and 54 million daily players; those are 23 and 13 percent increases, respectively. (Though, the numbers were rather flat for daily players in the fourth quarter.) That said, Inside Social Games reports that Zynga has convinced more players to pay, with 2.9 million paying players, 300,000 more than in the previous quarter.

However, the company did suffer a big net loss of $435 million, thanks to a $510 million tax charge related to its December public offering, according to Inside Social Games. Though, perhaps you could say that, should that charge had never happened, Zynga's loss would have been a gain of $75 million. Either way, Zynga made some serious money--and plenty more friends--in 2011. Considering how badly Facebook depends on Zynga, the company likely stands to make even more in 2012.

Are you impressed by Zynga's quarterly numbers? Do you think the developer can make good on investor expectations going forward? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.