Zynga's earnings fall as it searches for newer games to hook users

NEW YORK - Zynga Inc, the maker of hugely popular Facebook games likes FarmVille and Words with Friends, is planning to introduce newer online features and games to keep its users hooked, after it failed to get more online players compared to last year

The San Francisco-based company's stock fell 6.5 per cent to $13.42 after-hours. Its shares have zoomed more than 25 per cent ever since social networking website Facebook said last month that 12 per cent of its revenue comes from Zynga.

The company's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization fell 34 per cent to $67.8 million in the fourth quarter from a year earlier while its expenses climbed, it said in a statement Tuesday.

Mark Pincus, the company's founder and chief executive, said some 54 million people play Zynga games every day, and 240 million take part every month. While most users play inside Facebook, more people are downloading the games for phones, Pincus revealed.