Do you still find yourself staying up way too late on your iPhone or tablet waiting for your best friend to figure out your most recent move in Draw Something? Don't hold your breath for a sequel, as the studio behind the popular mobile game is finished.
According to ValleyWag, Draw Something developer OMGPOP will be shut down. It's not just them, either; OMGPOP's dissolution is just one casualty of the massive layoffs being made by mobile mega-publisher Zynga.
It's only been just over a year since the house behind Farmville bought OMGPOP for roughly $200 million. The former benefactors of Draw Something are now all but gone, and Zynga CEO Mark Pincus had this to say to the company as a whole:
"These moves, while hard to face today, represent a proactive commitment to our mission of connecting the world through games. Mobile and touch screens are revolutionizing gaming. Our opportunity is to make mobile gaming truly social by offering people new, fun ways to meet, play and connect. By reducing our cost structure today we will offer our teams the runway they need to take risks and develop these breakthrough new social experiences."
Kotaku is reporting that Zynga's New York City offices were closed down with little to no warning, and that trading on the name has been paused for the moment.
Anyone who has spent a few hours killing time on their web browsers knows that OMGPOP is more than just a mobile game studio. The company's website serves as a hub for free flash games ranging from Pool to Hover Kart Battle. Originally called "iminlikewithyou" the popular game site has given flash gamers a place to play casual titles while chatting with friends. There's no word on whether or not the site itself will be gone, but it will certainly be missed by its millions of daily members.
OMGPOP took to their official Twitter account to address their demise to their 24,000 followers, simply stating:
"While this is the last day at @zynga for many @omgpop staff, we want to thank you for all love and awesomeness over the years!"
Not everyone will miss playing Draw Something on their phones, but this is definitely a historic day for those who grew up glued to OMGPOP games on their web browsers. We wish the best of luck to all those affected by the layoffs.
