The long-awaited initial public offering for Zynga 
is reality — but as some investors celebrate, others wonder whether the numbers being discussed in conjunction with the company are a sign that we’re in the middle of another Internet stock bubble.
Zynga, the maker of massively popular Facebook games like FarmVille and Mafia Wars, filed for an IPO Friday and said it plans to raise $1 billion — – a figure that is expected to go higher by the time its shares begin trading.
If we’ve learned one thing 
from today’s long-awaited Zynga IPO filing, it’s this: Damn, would it be nice to be Mark Pincus.
The founder and CEO of the social games juggernaut stands to make an insane amount of money when trading of the company begins on Wall St. (likely 3-4 months from now). He’s already bucks up from selling 7.8 million shares back to the company in March for $100 million – and he’s still holding another 105 million shares in his portfolio. It’s nothing short of a massive payoff for his four-year old company.
At long last, Zynga has 
confirmed its plans to go public.
The company on Friday filed an S-1 form with the Securities and Exchange Commission, announcing plans to raise $1 billion through publicly traded shares. That wasn’t the interesting part, though. The really fascinating stuff was in the details.
FarmVille is headed 
to Wall Street.
Zynga, the maker of that massively popular Facebook game — and several others — has filed the paperwork for an Initial Public Offering.The four-year old firm says it expects to raise $1 billion in the process, though it’s possible (and, in fact, expected) that it could offer more shares and raise more money when the stock eventually begins trading.
The just-started NBA 
lockout is already having far-reaching effects.
Beyond what players, coaches and team owners are going through (and, of course, fans of live games), the television industry is scrambling to find ways to fill the possible holes in their schedule. Meanwhile, video game companies are trying to determine the ramifications for some of their biggest franchises, while NBA.com webmasters have had a busy few days. Let’s break it down by industry.
The biggest company in social 
network gaming is poised to become the biggest publicly-traded company in the video game industry.
Zynga, the maker of massively popular Facebook games like FarmVille and Mafia Wars, has filed the paperwork for an Initial Public Offering, where it says it hopes to raise $1 billion. That’s lower than some investors were expecting, but is likely to increase as bankers determine the offering price and how many shares should be sold.
While the company hasn’t confirmed any of the whispers, everyone on Wall St. knows the Zynga IPO is coming soon.
Several news outlets this week postulated the filing could come on Wednesday, but that deadline (like so many before it) came and went. What’s taking so long?
Call of Mini: Zombies certainly offers 
players plenty of options in terms of firepower and characters, but ultimately it’s another “me too” title that cribs the gameplay style of another title. The juxtaposition of the grim-faced but toy-like characters (and zombies) with the copious amounts of blood feels like the old Joe Camel ads — something that’s meant for an older audience that’s being targeted at kids. Even for older players, though, the game falls flat, with no co-op or multiplayer mode — and just two maps that you explore again and again. In an overcrowded genre, this app really fails to stand out.
Tower defense games are a dime a dozen 
these days, but Epic War TD stands out for a few reasons. The app’s randomly generated enemies mean no game is ever the same. You may face a relatively light armored wave or a brutally tough one, but you never know what’s coming next — something that makes you think on your feet. There are also copious levels and waves to keep even the expert player occupied for hours. And the enemies are visually distinctive, versus the often generic waves other tower defense games use. It’s gory — and definitely not something for young kids — but it’s a mature take on an old genre that manages to make a game style that was in danger of becoming dull exciting once again.
World of Warcraft fans have an annual 
get-together. So do EverQuest players, and Quake aficionados.
Now the biggest game in the industry is launching its own shindig — and you’re invited.
Call of Duty XP, a convention for fans of the wildly popular shooter series, will have its inaugural gathering this September 2 and 3 in Los Angeles. Roughly 6,000 fans are expected to pay $150 per ticket to attend the event. Tickets go on sale July 19.
Chris Morris: Journalist 