Zynga to buy OMGPop, maker of "Draw Something” for $200 mn

Online games maker Zynga yesterday said that it is buying OMGPop, the maker of hit game "Draw Something,'' for a reported $200 million.

Zynga, which raised $1 billion in an initial public offering in December 2011 (See: Online games maker Zynga debuts on Nasdaq today with $1-bn IPO), aims to reduce its reliance on Facebook, which accounts for more than 90 per cent of its sales.

Launched just six weeks ago, ''Draw Something,'' one of the fastest growing word games of all time, has already been downloaded 35 million times. It currently tops both the paid and free app bestseller lists in Apple's iTunes App Store and Google's Play store.

The OMGPop team has created a game that's fun, expressive and engenders real social interaction," said Mark Pincus, founder and CEO of Zynga. "Draw Something'' has captured the imagination of millions of people around the world."

OMGPop began as iminlikewithyou, a social network for people to meet and play games. The company soon after launched its social gaming website, OMGPop.com in 2009. . "Draw Something'' has stormed to success through a combination of creativity and nostalgia paired with pop culture hooks.

OMGPop is a developer and publisher of over 35 social and mobile games. Players have created nearly 3 billion unique and hilarious drawings of "Draw Something'' since its launch in February 2012.