What's the big news on Farmville 2? Join the staff at CGG as they hunt down the elusive Zynga at this year's E3 Conference and attempt to get the scoop on this much anticipated and talked about sequel.
Ever since the E3 Conference was first created, the staff at CasualGameGuides.com has made a concerted effort to attend. Yes, it’s true that E3 is mostly about hardcore console gaming with explosions and gore practically bursting from the glowing screens placed on every inch of the showroom hall… and there’s not a lot that would interest the casual gamer.
So why do we go? It’s simple really. When it comes down to it, E3 is ultimately about gamers. People like you and me who care a great deal about the future of this industry. People who get excited about the new technology that is changing the way we play games, and who walk these luminous halls gazing at the gorgeous graphics surrounding us like we’re walking the halls of an art museum. To us… games matter, even if they’re not the games we play on a regular basis.
But, this year was going to be different. Zynga’s name appeared on the E3 exhibitor list! And, as we all know, Zynga is one of the largest social gaming companies out there, responsible for games like Farmville and Cityville; and we know a lot of our readers enjoy playing their games. So naturally, it became a priority to connect with them this year.
The first leg of our quest to meet up with Zynga started by using the E3 meeting app. Unfortunately, our requests to set up times to meet with the Zynga staff were ignored. Still, we weren’t dismayed. They probably were extremely busy, and, since it was their first time, we guessed they might not even know about the meeting app.
No problem. We’ll just find their booth on the E3 showroom floor when we get there. However, after scouring the exhibitor maps, one thing became immediately evident – Zynga was missing.
Where were they? Well, after much hunting and squinting, we discovered they had reserved the smallest room possible at E3. Disappointment began to set in as our visions of gigantic cows and chickens were destroyed. Guess there wasn’t going to be a big Farmville 2 reveal after all…
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Still, there was hope. The whole point of these meeting rooms was for the press to connect with gaming companies. And, we already knew Zynga was interested in talking to the press. After all, Rob Dyer, Vice President of Partner Publishing at Zynga told CNBC, "Our intent is to spread the word and, hopefully, have people come up and talk to us. … We are putting together a platform for play – and in order for that to happen, we need third parties. To not be involved at E3 is to ignore a big part of what we need to be successful."
Hold on Rob, I’m on my way! But first, there were several challenges I had to pass. Zynga was situated behind a checkpoint that only the media could pass. So, after easily defeating the guards by proudly flashing my press pass, I meandered down a dark and gloomy hallway, lit only by the tiny light on my camera. Surely, this couldn’t be right!
Off in the distance, I saw a glowing sign that indicated the restrooms were ahead. Score! A restroom with no lines! As I quickly closed the distance between me and what could be my very own private bathroom at E3, I was surprised to see a non-assuming sign with white lettering nestled underneath the restroom sign that simply said… Zynga 519.
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What? Could this be right? Putting aside my puzzlement, I cautiously entered the tiny closet of a meeting room. The first thing I noticed was promotional Zynga materials thrown precariously in the corner, as if some uncaring person had begun to play Jenga with the brochures, stacking them askew and then walking away, hoping they wouldn’t topple over.
I was confronted by a woman who regarded me with undisguised suspicion, and who didn’t even bother trying to hide the fact that she was trying to see if my press pass was real or not. Or if I was someone important that she needed to take note of. Needless to say, it was not the kind of welcome I had expected or received from other big exhibitors like Nintendo and Sony.
After explaining that I represented a large casual gaming portal, and that I was hoping to have a few words with a Zynga representative, she took my information, and told me she would contact me later. Well, as you can probably guess… the end of the day came and went without a word from Zynga.
The next day, I returned to the restroom, I mean… meeting room 519, and found the door ominously closed tight. Being the polite but determined person that I am, I knocked lightly on the door, and when there was no response, cracked it open just in case they didn’t hear me because they were immersed in some Farmville 2 gaming or something. You would have thought I was a drought come to destroy their crops by the harsh look the group of suits gave me. A man rushed me like a defensive tackle aimed at taking down the quarterback, forcing me to quickly step back as he popped out of the room and firmly closed the door behind him.
After assuring him I didn’t have a football and there was no need to tackle me, I explained that I simply was looking to interview a Zynga rep for a few minutes. The man gave me a skeptical look and told me “It’s a tough time to get in, and you’ll be contacted tomorrow.” OK… that’s what you said yesterday. My name was at the top of the list, since we had made this a priority for our readers. Why was this going to be so tough?
The next morning, I again marched resolutely down the hallway of darkness to find the same woman, alone in the tiny room, with a large spread of cookies laid out on the table. Oh good! Maybe this time, they were going to welcome the press with open arms and perhaps a chocolate chip cookie. After all, I can pretty much forgive anything if you give me chocolate.
I asked about my scheduled appointment to which she said… “Yeah, it’s just really tough. It’s just really hard right now.” I’m sorry… what exactly is so hard? There’s a thing called a calendar that can help you schedule that appointment you keep promising us. Seriously Zynga, if you don’t want to meet with us, simply tell me your calendar is full instead of continuing to waste our time and blowing us off. The very least you can do is offer me a cookie as a consolation prize, but apparently you can’t even be bothered to part with that, let alone 5 minutes of your time.
As you can imagine, we’re still waiting for Zynga to contact us “tomorrow” for our 5 minutes.
We just don’t get it. If Zynga’s desire was to have people “come up and talk to them,” apparently they failed to let the press know that they didn’t intend on talking back. Here’s a clue Zynga… In order to partner with third parties, you probably shouldn’t blow them off and treat them like they are the geek at the prom without a date. I half expected her to pull a Carrie and dump a bucket of pig’s blood on me or something by the way she was glaring at me.
What Zynga doesn’t seem to totally grasp is that E3 is a community based on mutual respect. Nintendo found the time to spend nearly 45 minutes with us showing off their latest and greatest games and console. Microsoft spent 20 minutes with us showing off the new Fable game. Sony gave us as much time as we needed to get an in-depth review of Free Realms. IGN talked to us for about 15 minutes on wikis alone! And, you’re trying to tell us, Zynga, that you can’t be bothered to give us 5 minutes of your time to answer a couple of questions about Farmville 2?!
Well, not only did we not learn anything about Farmville 2, it seems Zynga has apparently forgotten where its success stems from… the players. Wake up, Zynga. Because we’re not just press reporting on a passionless subject. We’re gamers. We’re fans. And we want to be on your side. Don’t you think it’s time you start acting like you want to be on ours?
All we can say after this unsettling experience is that perhaps E3 was right in placing Zynga in their tiny secluded clubhouse in the back. Because the only thing louder than the door they slammed in our faces, was the whooshing sound of the toilets flushing next door.
