In Zynga founder Mark Pincus' world, games will replace text messages

You're reading this website right now, so chances are you send and/or receive at least one text message every day. More likely, that number is way, way bigger. But have you ever made plans for the weekend with a friend within Words With Friends? If Mark Pincus, founder and CEO of Zynga, has his way, Words With Friends will be the new text message.

"The overall tectonic shifts that are going on in games and more broadly in media are that everything is moving to becoming free, social and accessible. But we're just at the beginning of that," Pincus told The Associated Press. "We can get to a day where short-session play can enhance, if not replace text messaging as a way to stay in touch with people."

It's a trend that's already growing not only within Zynga, but within the gaming community. A recent New York Times piece details a woman that keeps in touch with friends almost solely through Words With Friends. And the deluge of "With Friends" games shows no signs of stopping, with Matching With Friends next in line to absorb our free time like a sponge. But does this mark a shift within the company to mobile? Not exactly.

"I still believe that we can offer you a much deeper, more engaging, more compelling play experience on a PC than we can on a mobile device, but one can enhance the other and one can expand the other," Pincus explained to The AP. "I don't think they necessarily will compete with each other, just like how we find a place for movies in our lives, and TV and radio."

It might be true that profits and growth are the bulls-eye for Zynga, but it's clear that its leader is capable of big-picture-thinking. Now it's time to see whether his company can and will execute on the dream.

Do you chat with friends more in the With Friends games than texting? Can you see a future like this? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.