Zynga cans Mafia Wars 2, PetVille and 9 other games

Zynga’s star has truly fallen. We knew the situation was dire, but the latest announcement really highlights the company’s downfall. It is now shutting down 11 of its Facebook and smartphone apps in an attempt to stay solvent. Most surprising is that this purge includes once popular games like Mafia Wars 2, PetVille, Vampire Wars and FishVille.

The series of Zynga game closures has actually been going on since late November, as the end of Mafia Wars 2‘s run was announced via its Facebook page on November 29, 2012, but the full list of 11 sacrificial apps hasn’t really come together until now. All Facebook games that are ending are, like Mafia Wars 2, getting a generic message posted to the wall that reads like this:

Dear [insert game here] player,

Thank you for supporting [insert game here] and for being a loyal player! We’re sorry to inform you that [insert game here] will be shutting down on [date]. In place of [insert game here], we encourage you to play other Zynga games like Castleville, Chefville, Farmville 2, Mafia Wars and Yoville.

We appreciate your participation in [insert game here] as it helped make the game a fun place to meet and war with friends. As a loyal [insert game here] player, you are eligible for a one-time, complimentary bonus package in one of either Castleville, or Chefville, or Farmville 2, or Mafia Wars or Yoville. You can start the process by logging into [insert game here] and clicking on the “Redeem” button. Please note that this offer will be valid only until [date]

Log in here -> [link]

Thank you for your time in [insert game here]. We look forward to seeing you again in other Zynga games.

Sincerely,
The [insert game here] Team

So sincere. In each Facebook page for a recently closed Zynga app, there’s an announcement like this with oddles of comments complaining about lost money spent on the game, the fact that it’s closing or that people didn’t receive the promised “complimentary bonus” even though they went through the redeeming process. Read the PetVille Facebook page comments and you’ll have an idea of what all the comments on closed games look like.

Anyways, here’s the list of Zynga apps that are now gone. I can happily admit that Treasure Isle is the only one I’ve ever played.

• FishVille
• ForestVille
• Indiana Jones Adventure World
• Mafia Wars 2
• Mafia Wars Shakedown
• Mojitomo
• Montopia
• PetVille
• Treasure Isle
• Vampire Wars
• Word Scramble Challenge

Of those, only Indiana Jones Adventure World is still running, and it closes for good January 14, 2013.

Site [Zynga]