OMGPOP is the poster child of the one-hit wonder in mobile gaming. After finding a hit with Draw Something, Zynga bought the developer and tried to strike gold twice. It didn’t work out and the social games giant killed off OMGPOP in June. The only thing that’s left now is their game portal – OMGPOP.com – and Zynga is going to kill that off too.
Zynga announced late last month that OMGPOP.com will shut down on September 30. After that date, almost all the games and services on the site will no longer be available. As for the actual games affected, you won’t be able to play Cupcake Corner, Gem Rush, Pool World Champ or Snoops after the site is shut down.
Of course, Zynga is still going to keep around Draw Something, its sequel and its precursor – Draw My Thing – after the site is closed. These games will continue on as Zynga products. They will be available via the main Zynga portal and various mobile devices.
OMGPOP was only the latest in a string of studio closures that saw Zynga laying off hundreds of employees and shutting down numerous games. Now the developer/publisher is going to remain focused on its own brands as it tries to break its way into the increasingly competitive mobile market. It hasn’t exactly had a bit hit just yet, but the company is now under the guidance of former Xbox boss Don Mattrick. Zynga’s former CEO Mark Pincus thinks that Mattrick will turns things around, but unfortunately, OMGPOP won’t be around for the ride.
If you want to make your peace before OMGPOP.com is shut down forever, you can get in a few more games of Putt My Penguin here. After that, the OMGPOP name will only be heard in hushed tones on some YouTube ripoff of VH1’s One Hit Wonders.
[h/t: TechCrunch]