Zynga has acquired Wild Needle, a developer that specialized in casual games for women, according to media reports.
TechCrunch and the Wall Street Journal seem to have broken the news virtually simultaneously. The deal is thought to be valued at $3.8 million, according to VentureBeat.
Since the small studio didn’t have any hit titles, it is likely that the acquisition was to bring its talents into the Zynga fold. Founded in 2010, Wild Needle’s team includes Playdom co-founder Rick Thompson and Adify vice president Heidi Carson.
Wild Needle (logo shown at left) had raised $2.5 million in funding from Thompson and Shasta Ventures in 2011. Its website has been pulled down.
Zynga’s other recent acquisitions include Omgpop, home of the hit game Draw Something, as well as Gamedoctors, Page44 Studios, HipLogic and Astro Ape Studios.
Neither Zynga nor Wild Needle have commented yet.
Related links:
TechCrunch – Zynga Picks Up Mobile Gaming Startup Wild Needle In A Talent Deal
Wall Street Journal – New Tech Spenders in Feeding Frenzy
VentureBeat – Zynga acquires Wild Needle casual game maker for an estimated $3.8M
