Zynga: Microsoft Has Had Their Eye On It For Some Time, It Seems [Op-Ed]

Has Microsoft had their eye on Zynga for years? It certainly looks like it.

Don Mattrick recently left Microsoft to take over as CEO of Zynga, but apparently that’s not the whole story. As previously reported by The Inquisitr, the idea of a Microsoft executive helping Zynga through a tough time just sounds counterproductive. Look at the giant heap of fail that the Xbox One is buried in and you’ll see why the idea of Zynga actually needing Microsoft’s help to make it just sounds stupid.

Back in 2010, Microsoft executive Don Mattrick actually tried to buy out Zynga. Interesting coincidence, I’m thinking, as it looks like Microsoft was betting on Zynga failing in the first place. News flash, Microsoft: Zynga is still a popular online game company, while you’re kind of a joke after the Xbox One reveal.

After contract negotiations seemingly failed, Don Mattrick remained friends with former Zynga CEO Mark Pincus, the two even going on the occasional bike ride together. You know what they say: keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. Could there have been a little bit of sabotage in the works?

Perhaps the Xbox One was intended to fail from the start so Don Mattrick wouldn’t need to stick around? It’s been three years, about three times as long as rumors stated flying about the Xbox One, and back then, Zynga pretty much ruled the online game world outside the consoles and mobile devices. It was said that the failure of the Xbox One to impress the fans had nothing to do with Don Mattrick’s departure, though I’m still skeptical.

I find it interesting that both Zynga and Microsoft’s next generation console would start having trouble around the same time. The timing is just too perfect. It may be just a conspiracy theory on my part, but something doesn’t look right after realizing that the two companies have been working on some kind of deal for around three years now.

What do you think of Microsoft having tried to buy out Zynga three years before Don Mattrick made his move?