Zynga acquires mobile gaming startup Wild Needle - report

Social games giant Zynga has made another acquisition, this time for a social mobile gaming studio comprised of entrepreneurs who have had experience at companies like Microsoft, PayPal and Playdom, according to media reports. Wild Needle was founded in 2010, and includes Playdom co-founder and chairman Rick Thompson and Adify Platform Solutions VP Heidi Carson as executives. In 2011 it raised $2.5 million in a Series A round of funding. The studio released its first game, free-to-play management sim Shoptown Hero, in March of this year for iOS, although the title was pulled from the App Store a few weeks ago ahead of this deal. According to TechCrunch, this latest acquisition is in line with the company's previous such acquisitions, although no details regarding the amount paid were provided. Gamasutra has contacted Zynga for comment. Zynga has made numerous acquisitions in recent months, picking up studios such as Germany's Gamedoctors, San Francisco-based Page44 Studios, HipLogic and Astro Ape Studios. Most recently, it bought New York City-based developer Omgpop, along with its recent and tremendous mobile/social game hit Draw Something, for a notable $180 million. Zynga CEO Mark Pincus said in April that the company plans to make even more high-dollar acquisitions in the coming months.