Zynga Game Network Inc., the San Francisco company that created social games including FarmVille, opened a major game design studio in Baltimore last year. Social games rely on social networks and typically cater to more casual gamers. “The games industry, to grow, is finding ways to branch out in other things where they haven’t been before,” said Marc Olano, associate professor of computer science. “It’s just a new way to reach people who maybe don’t like running around blowing things up or don’t like the long-term time commitment” of computer or console games, he said.
The article, “The New Frontier: Online Social Games,” appeared September 26 in the Baltimore Sun.
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