Social gaming company Zynga is consistently releasing awesome games for the iPhone / iPod Touch (e.g. Live Poker), and today they are debuting the popular word game Scramble exclusively for the platform with the launch of the “Scramble Live” app (iTunes link).
The decision to bring Scramble to the iPhone specifically was a good one. After all, its Scramble Facebook app is currently one of the social networking service’s top 25 games with more than 1.2 million monthly active users and its popularity is still soaring. Interestingly, Zynga’s new game lets you compete live with other users on Facebook too and even with other people around you in real time if they have the app installed on their devices as well.
“Scramble Live” is available for $4.99, with a $2.99 limited-time launch special.
Here’s a video that shows the game in action:
San-Francisco based Zynga is funded by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, IVP, Union Square Ventures, Foundry Group, Avalon Ventures, Pilot Group, Reid Hoffman and Peter Thiel. The company claims more than 7 million daily users and 30 million monthly users for its games, which it creates for social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, and Hi5 in addition to the games it releases for the iPhone / iPod Touch.
It competes against companies like SGN, Mytopia and the European MegaZebra.
I’m sold on scramble live.
Be forewarned that this game is freaking addictive!
Scramble live is a great game!
Scramble is very great.
For those TC readers interested in learning more about iPhone games (and Zynga’s plans specifically), they’ll be speaking at the upcoming iGames Summit (http://www.igsummit.com) – you can use the code “TC” and save yourself 10% when you register.
TC, keep up the great coverage of iPhone games!
Wishing them much success.
“I love to stay and chat but I’ve a game to play”? Boy could that be any more cheesy!
I’ve played lots of word games in this genre and I have to say that this is one of the best.
It is, but shouldn’t you be disclosing the fact that you work at Zynga? Either that or use a non-Zynga e-mail address when you comment.
lol nice Robin! 0wned!
And you Robin work for SGN? LOL
astroturfing gone wrong
Moron.
Great iPhone mechanics. The best I’ve seen. Word addicts will flock to this.
Good game for the iPhone/Pod although there are free alternatives. Not sure where the reporter gets the connection with Facebook friends – there appears to be no connection with the i client and the game on facebook at all.
Ah – I see the facebook bit now – it’s just live random users not friends that you already have created games with. Disappointing.
Two things: This is the wrong Scramble. http://www.ilov...om/scramble.gif
Also, 39M for this?
Dude, get educated before you say silly things. It’s not that hard to go to the web site and look. $39M for this (and I’m pretty sure that most of the money is still in the bank):
Casino/Card
* Live Poker – New!
* Texas Hold’Em
* Blackjack
Word, Puzzle & Board
* Scramble Live – New!
* Scramble
* PathWords
* Word Twist
* Sudoku
* Sea Wars
Virtual World
* YoVille!
* Friend Factory
Action/Fantasy
* Guild of Heroes
* Space Wars
* Football
* Heroes vs Villains
* Special Forces
* Fashion Wars
* Prison Lockdown
* Dragon Wars
* Attack!
* Mafia Wars
* Vampires
* Gang Wars
* Street Racing
* Triumph
* My Heroes Ability
* Ghost Racer
* Dope Wars
* Pirates
Half of those are the same exact game. Something Wars. I wouldn’t count that as innovation, exactly.
I agree that Zynga’s games aren’t exactly innovative but 49 million active users speak for themselves.
That said they need to be more innovative to keep that position. As social gaming evolves, the need for more innovative game play increases to maintain the user engagement and retention that’s so characteristic of social games.
i should hope that most of the 39M is in the bank still. point of comparison: EA acquired pogo for 40M.
Anyone who likes Scramble should check out Shake & Spell. It’s a similar game and has been out for a while now. There’s a decent sized online community as well. They support solo and online play and have some type of Facebook tie-in. Best thing about it is that it’s FREE!
http://itunes.a...362032&mt=8
Is it just me or is the application not actually available on the iTunes app store? I can’t seem to find it.
you can get scramble here:
http://itunes.a...904527&mt=8
takes a while for it to show up in itunes search…
That link didn’t work for me. Something must be wrong.
Ok, finally worked… had to close and re-open iTunes…
Been waiting for this game to come to the iPhone. Gameplay and interface are very good. Great to see how acceleration, multi-touch and social networking enhance an already very good experience. Its a great implementation of a game that I’ve been playing on the MagicLink PDA since 1994. One of the reasons I still bring out antique hardware for kids and friends two be addicted for days at a time…
i just started playing their mafia wars on yahoo. pretty fun game
I downloaded Live Poker for my iPhone and, among many other users, experience horrible service, drops, freezes… and now I am drenched with freakin’ pop-up ads for your Scrabble game?!?!?!? Knock this crap off..!!! Fix the games you have now before trying to take any more of our $$$!!! Then you can come back and sell more crap.
Add my friend code on scramble-5001484337
add me 5701834279
add me
3301 0491 67
3301 0491 67
add 5203 0853 87
Add me 0101 9522 07
Add me!!!
6903 4025 88
Add me too!!
7803 2263 26
Freezes often when reaching 1 second left. Pretty annoying especially if you’ve just beat your best. Also need to reboot the iPhone in order to play again. Pleeze fix. Also what would be good, in addition to tracking high scores, is to track percentage of words found.