Zynga Launches HTML5 Mafia Wars Atlantic City For Mobile Web

Social game developer Zynga has brought one of its most popular titles, Mafia Wars, to mobile and tablet web browsers with the release of HTML5-powered Mafia Wars Atlantic City today. Available through either a standalone web site or on app downlaod service GetJar, Mafia Wars Atlantic City's decision to run on the HTML5 framework means its playable on a variety of platforms, including iPad, iPhone/iPod Touch, Android, WebOS, and BlackBerry devices. The original Mafia Wars web app is currently the fifth most popular game on Facebook, where it has 19.1 million monthly active users and 3 million daily players. Zynga also has a free iPhone app for Mafia Wars and intends to release a dedicated Android version later this month. Zynga has aggressively expanded its mobile strategy in recent months, acquiring studios like iPhone developer Newtoy (Games With Friends), Japanese mobile social games firm Unoh, and Frankfurt-based Aves engine (for mobile browser games) creator Dextrose AG, now Zynga Germany. And after putting out free iPhone editions for many of its popular titles, the company released its first Android app, Zynga Poker, last month. Before the end of the year, it also plans to publish FarmVillage, a localized mobile version of FarmVille for Japan, on Mixi.