Zynga CEO Mark Pincus and a giant creepy farmer.

The business of fun is changing for Zynga.  No longer content with being the leading game provider for Facebook and cranking out hit mobile games like FarmVille and Words With Friends, Zynga is looking towards the future and trying to change the game before the game changes them.  The company is announcing new games, of course, but they’re also announcing a new direction.  Among the new initiatives announced by Zynga is Zynga Direct, described by the company as “a platform for a direct relationship with consumers, whether on the Web or mobile.”

“We can give you a whole sand box and create social-ness around the games and not just in the games,” said Zynga’s Chief Executive Officer Mark Pincus during a press conference at Zynga’s new San Francisco headquarters.  “Everything behind the products we’re creating is this mission to build what we think of as a platform for play.  We’re not trying to be the company that makes the next hit game, although we’d be really happy to make the next hit game, but we’re trying to do something broader than that.”

Zynga has also hinted at something called Project Z, which is believed to be an online game service.  Players can start playing on Facebook, for example, then migrate to Project Z by using their Facebook name and login.  This will allow Zynga to make its games more complex and graphically intensive, as well as clear the way for a whole new Zynga interface, featuring portals such as Zynga Casino (which has Zynga Poker and Zynga Bingo, among other offerings)  Zynga will also be adding a HTML5 version of Words With Friends and greater integration to Facebook’s iPad app.

Tags: Words With Friends, FarmVille, Zynga, social gaming, Facebook, Zynga Direct, Mark Pincus, San Francisco, California, Zynga to debut gaming social network, Project Z, video games, entertainment, Facebook Games, Zynga Casino, Zynga announces new games

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