March 21, 2012

• Asleep at the Wheel…

  Apple exceeds all of my investment objectives or expectations for the year.  Outside of Apple (AAPL $602.50), I’m thinking I should look at a few other stocks to invest in. Who?  

  • Amazon (AMZN $191.73)
  • Zynga (ZNGA $13.72)
  • SalesForce.Com  (CRM $154.37)

  I’m encouraged by the M&A (merger and acquisition) activities that have happened for all 3 companies: 

  • Amazon buys Kiva
  • SalesForce buys Rypple
  • Zynga buys OMGPOP (Maker of Draw Something)

  Although, it might actually be a waste of money to invest in these companies since I’m happy having all my “Apples” in one basket.  Time will tell.  

  Other companies to consider: 

  • YELP! (YELP $23.12) – I wonder who they would buy to expand or who would buy them?  Google/Microsoft/Yahoo?
  • Twitter (tba)
  • FACEBOOK (tba)

  ---

  UPDATE: Zynga Acquires Maker Of Popular ‘Draw Something’ Game

   

  4:59 PM ET 3/21/12 | Dow Jones

  –Zynga buys “Draw Something” maker OMGPOP

  –Deal is largest acquisition for Zynga

  –”Draw Something” has been downloaded more than 35 million times in past six weeks

  (Updated throughout to add more details, beginning in first paragraph, including executive comments.)

  By John Letzing

  Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

  SAN FRANCISCO (Dow Jones)–Zynga Inc. (ZNGA) said Wednesday it has purchased OMGPOP Inc., the developer of “Draw Something,” as the social gaming firm seeks to expand its portfolio with a remarkably popular mobile-phone title.

  The deal highlights the hit-dependent model of the gaming business. OMGPOP, founded in 2006, had developed dozens of titles before “Draw Something.” But while most were “singles or doubles,” according to OMGPOP Chief Executive Dan Porter, “this is like a grand slam home run.”

  Zynga paid between $200 million and $250 million for New York-based OMGPOP, according to people familiar with the matter, making it the San Francisco company’s largest acquisition to date.

  Zynga Chief Mobile Officer David Ko declined to comment on financial terms. Ko said “Draw Something” has been downloaded more than 35 million times since it was released six weeks ago, calling it a “cultural smash hit.”

  Ko said Zynga’s interest in OMGPOP didn’t stem solely from the success of “Draw Something,” but rather on the talent of the firm’s developers.

  Those developers were able to build upon less successful, albeit important past efforts to eventually come up with “Draw Something,” Ko said.

  Ko said the game, which is a contest to draw images based on selected words, had become a favorite for him and Zynga Chief Executive Mark Pincus.

  OMGPOP has received backing from investors including Spark Capital and Bessemer Venture Partners. The company began as the social site Iminlikewithyou.com.

  Porter will now oversee Zynga efforts in New York, where his team will remain in place, the companies said.

  Zynga has disclosed spending a total of $45.5 million on 15 different acquisitions last year. In 2010, Zynga spent $53.3 million on mobile gaming firm Newtoy Inc., in addition to six other firms for $48.4 million, according to public filings.

  Zynga, the maker of popular Facebook games like “FarmVille” and “Mafia Wars,” went public in a December IPO with its shares initially priced at $10. The shares closed 2.5% higher at $13.72 on Wednesday, after the company officially disclosed plans to buy OMGPOP.

  Zynga cited the international reach of “Draw Something,” pointing to data from Apple Inc.’s (APPL) applications store showing that it is the No. 1 word game in 84 countries.

  OMGPOP was advised in the deal by Waller Capital Partners LLC.

   

  • 10:19 PM
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