Zynga Ads+ Opens a 100-Game Mobile Advertising Network

Zynga is turning its enormous casual-games footprint into a much bigger advertising proposition. The Take-Two-owned publisher has unveiled Zynga Ads+, bringing 100 mobile games into a combined advertising offering that the company says reaches more than 100 million consumers each month. The pitch revolves around something Zynga calls 'Game Path Optimisation'.

Behind the marketing terminology is a straightforward idea: rather than asking advertisers to navigate an ocean of mobile titles individually, Zynga wants to curate gaming environments based on factors including attention, engagement and brand safety. That's potentially significant in a market where discoverability is difficult for advertisers as well as developers.

Zynga points to the huge number of games available through the US App Store while arguing that only a fraction achieve particularly strong user ratings. Packaging established casual-game audiences together gives brands a simpler doorway into mobile gaming without needing to become experts on hundreds of individual apps. It also demonstrates how valuable audience scale has become beyond conventional in-app purchases.

Mobile publishers aren't merely selling games, virtual currency and battle passes anymore; they're increasingly operating sophisticated advertising platforms around the people playing them. Zynga plans to reveal additional details about Ads+ during its IAB Brand Academy event on October 21.