Zynga No Longer Requires Facebook

Those of you who have wanted to play Farmville2, Chefville, Hidden Chronicles, or several of the other Zynga games, but who do not have a Facebook account, are now able to play them. You can create an account at Zynga.com with your email address. Facebook is no longer required.

This update which was announced in March, has now taken effect. Zynga posted a blog a few weeks ago to let current players of their games know what to expect. To me, the best part of the update is that I can play Zynga games again even though I do not have a Facebook account. (I do not want a Facebook account).

Gamers who were already playing Zynga games through Facebook, or who created an account at Zynga.com that was connected to their Facebook account, need not worry. You will not have to start your games from scratch, you won’t lose the friends you play with through Facebook, and your game will continue on as expected. The difference is that you now have the option of choosing to start from scratch. Which, as Zynga notes, can be a good thing! Either way, the games are free to play.

Players who live in the UK may be interested to hear that Zynga has recently released Zynga Plus Poker It offers online poker, slot machines, blackjack, and other gambling type games. You cannot play these games for free. Part of the fine print at the Zynga Plus Poker website reads:

Play for real money, win for real at our poker tournaments and cash games with your mates and meet new friends who share your love for poker along the way.

Clearly, Zynga has taken a step towards “real money” gaming with its Zynga Plus Poker. It my understanding that you cannot participate unless you are in the UK. I expect we will see more types of “pay to play” games from Zynga in the near future. Could Farmville2 one day require a paid subscription? We will have to wait and see.