微软游戏专家能否拯救Zynga？

    其他只要与Kinect相关的事情就是众所周知的历史了。Kinect销量在2月达到巅峰的2,400万台，电脑狂人为其编写了不计其数的程序，从3D涂鸦到机器人控制，应有尽有。更能说明马特里克贡献的是：更高级版本的Kinect将随着每台Xbox One主机在今年晚些时候打包发售。这款设备被认为是全新Xbox产品的核心体验。

    尽管如此成功，但马特里克离开微软却并不令人惊讶。高德纳咨询公司（Gartner Research）移动部门副总裁范•贝克说：“我认为对他而言，微软的环境可能有点让人失望。说实在的，对微软而言，Xbox业务只是附属业务之一。”考虑到这家科技巨头的核心业务仍然是Windows和Office这样的软件，贝克认为Zynga给马特里克提供了一个机会，能够在一家时刻以其行动为前沿和核心的公司大展拳脚。更不用说新主机的发布很可能引起微软与竞争对手，PS4制造商索尼（Sony）的一系列激烈斗争。

    不过在Zynga，马特里克面临的任务同样艰难：公司股票同比跌幅近40%。Zynga依靠开心农场等游戏取得过成功，而这些游戏大部分都需要在其他公司，如Facebook等的架构内运行。贝克说：“这种模式不能成功发展，得想着扩展到社交网络环境之外，也得想办法超越以往那些游戏。我认为这很艰难。”

    麻烦在于，即便从七年前Zynga成立开始，游戏业内境况就已风云变幻。移动设备，而非社交网络，带动着新游戏的创新。在休闲游戏业，开发精心打磨的游戏和服务的成本正持续增加，正如所谓的顶级史诗巨作《使命召唤》（Call of Duty）一样。激烈竞争已经打响。想想曾推出过《部落战争》等游戏的芬兰游戏制造商Supercell，在今年第一季度收入1.79亿美元，净利润1.04亿美元。它拥有约100名员工。相比之下，Zynga有约2,400名员工，在今年第一季度收入2.64亿美元，净利润仅400万美元。

    马特里克，这位在传统电视游戏软硬件领域拥有扎实业绩的游戏业资深专家，能否在Zynga这家完全不同类型的游戏公司再次力挽狂澜？同样重要的是：大股东平克斯会不会让出足够的权力，放手让马特里克采取一切必要的行动？关于这些问题，包括Zynga内部人士在内的每个人，都将很快得到答案。（财富中文网）

    译者：严匡正

    The rest is history as far as the Kinect is concerned. Kinect sales topped 24 million as of February, and hackers have programmed countless applications for it, from 3-D doodling to controlling robots. Even more telling of Mattrick's contribution: a more advanced version of Kinect will come packaged with each new Xbox One console when it arrives later this year. The device is believed to be a central part of the new Xbox experience.

    Despite the success, Mattrick's departure Microsoft may not come as a surprise. "I think Microsoft was probably a bit of a frustrating environment for him because, let's face it, the Xbox business is viewed within Microsoft as sort of an ancillary business," says Van Baker, Vice President of Mobility at Gartner Research. Given the tech giant's main business remains software like Windows and Office, Baker argues Zynga offers Mattrick the opportunity to run his own show at a company where his actions will always be front-and-center. Not to mention the launch of new console hardware is likely to lead to a set of bruising battles with rival Sony (SNE), maker of the Playstation 4.

    But Mattrick has similarly difficult tasks ahead of him at Zynga, which has seen its stock drop nearly 40% overall year-over-year. Zynga rose to success atop games like Farmville which were largely played within the framework of another company's product, namely Facebook (FB). "That's not a formula for success going forward, because you're going to want to expand outside the social network environment but also expand outside those initial titles, which is where I think they're struggling," says Baker.

    Trouble is, the landscape for games has changed dramatically, even since Zynga's founding seven years ago. Mobile devices, rather than social networks, are now driving innovation in new titles. The costs to produce highly polished games and services continue to rise in casual games, much as it has in so-called tiple-A blockbuster titles like Call of Duty. And competition has spiked. Consider this: Supercell, the Finnish maker of titles such as Clash of Clans, made $104 million in profit on $179 million in revenue in the first quarter. It has about 100 employees. Zynga, by contrast, has about 2,400 workers and made $4 million in profits on revenue of $264 million in the first three months of this year.

    Can Mattrick, a gaming industry veteran with a proven track record in traditional videogame hardware and software, do the same for Zynga, an entirely different kind of gaming business? Equally as important: will Pincus, a majority shareholder, relinquish enough control so Mattrick can do what's needed? Those are questions everyone, Zynga insiders included, will have the answers to soon enough.