Zynga Inc (ZNGA)

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ZNGA: 3D CONTENT AUTHORING,...DIVORCE...LOOSEN PINCUS’ GRIP ON ZYNGA








3D CONTENT AUTHORING, DELIVERY, & RENDERING, DIVORCE MAY LOOSEN PINCUS’ GRIP ON ZYNGA



(Assignee

1. a person to whom some right or interest is transferred,...)
Source: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/assignee



DELIVERY OF PROJECTIONS FOR RENDERING
PATENT NUMBER: 9610501

ABSTRACT: A WORKFLOW FOR 3D CONTENT AUTHORING, DELIVERY, AND RENDERING IS FACILITATED BASED ON PRE-AUTHORED IMAGE PROJECTIONS TO OBTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTHORING EFFICIENCY. Additionally, a content delivery platform centered on such pre-authored image projections provides a mechanism for significantly improving streaming efficiency for 3D worlds. MULTIPLE IMAGES ENCODE PRIMARY SURFACE DETAIL OF 3D WORLDS IN REAL-TIME APPLICATIONS. Examples of such projections include IMAGES THAT CAN BE AS RICH AS FILM FRAMES, FEATURE ANIMATION FRAMES, HIGH END DIGITAL RENDERS, CONCEPT PAINTINGS, OR ANY SUITABLE COMBINATION THEREOF. An algorithm for improved image projection camera path trajectories, sampling selection, and BLENDING MAY BE IMPLEMENTED BY VARIOUS SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO FACILITATE SMOOTH TRANSITIONS DURING MOVEMENTS OF A PLAYER WITHIN A GAME SET IN THE 3D SPACE.

IN ADDITION, A BACK-PROJECTION TECHNIQUE MAY BE IMPLEMENTED BY VARIOUS SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO PROPAGATE REVISIONS OF ONE OR MORE PROJECTIONS.

Type: Grant
Filed: October 28, 2015
Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
Assignee: Zynga Inc.
Inventors: James Ho, Szymon Swistun, Sulabh Patel, Nils Jonas Norberg



SLOTS-FUELED ADVENTURE
Patent number: 9613486

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs are provided for executing games, processed by one or mover servers. The one or more servers are provided with access to a network for communication with one or more client computers. One method includes operations for sending an interface for a casino-type game to a client computer, and for starting an online game that is displayed with the interface for the casino-type game. THE METHOD FURTHER INCLUDES OPERATIONS FOR DETECTING A BET PLACED IN THE CASINO-TYPE GAME, AND FOR DETERMINING AN OUTCOME OF THE BET IN THE CASINO-TYPE GAME. A character is moved along a path of the online game, where the amount of movement of the character is based on the outcome of the bet or wager.
Type: Grant
Filed: April 5, 2016
Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
Assignee: Zynga Inc.
Inventors: Josh Guase, Nimai Malle, Nathan Ratcliffe



SENDING AND RECEIVING CONFIGURABLE BUCKETS OF COMMUNICATIONS
Patent number: 9609087

Abstract: A method of sending and receiving configurable buckets of communication is disclosed. A request to send a communication from an application executing on a client to an application executing on a server is received. The communication has a first priority. A request to send an additional communication from the application executing on the client to the application executing on the server is received. The additional communication has a second priority. The communication is placed into a bucket of communications based on the communication having the first priority. A determination is made to send the bucket of communications to the application executing on the server. The additional communication is placed into the bucket of communications based on a determination that the bucket of communications is not full. The bucket of communications is sent to the application executing on the server.
Type: Grant
Filed: April 13, 2015
Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
Assignee: Zynga Inc.
Inventors: Ian Dunn, Robert Aaron Jones, Dan Racanelli



COMBINING GAMES BASED ON LEVELS OF INTERACTIVITY OF THE GAMES
PATENT NUMBER: 9607016


Abstract: A method of combining games based on levels of interactivity of the games is disclosed. It is identified that a player is idle with respect to a primary game, the primary game having a first level of interactivity. A secondary game having a second level of interactivity is selected based on the second level of interactivity being compatible with the first level of interactivity. The player is provided with an option to participate in the secondary game while the player is idle with respect to the primary game.
Type: Grant
Filed: January 24, 2013
Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
Assignee: Zynga Inc.
Inventors: Justin Wickett, Shane Ishmael Sareli, Michael Kane, Justin Potter Driemeyer, Lamberto Alvaro


SOCIAL GAME PLAY USING SOCIAL NETWORK FEATURES
Patent number: 9604130

Abstract: An apparatus and method for integrating social game play with social network features is disclosed herein. Content generated in the game is posted to the social network to initiate social game play. Recipients of the content that respond to the content are automatically taken to the game to join the game in a controlled manner. Recipients' interaction with the game may be selectively reviewed and incorporated into a playing space associated with an existing player of the game.
Type: Grant
Filed: May 17, 2012
Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
Assignee: Zynga Inc.
Inventors: Kartik Ayyar, Christopher Ryan Antimary, Joseph Dao, Revant Kapoor, Zhuohao Shao



ADAPTIVE TASK ASSIGNMENT FOR ONLINE GAMES THAT USES PLAYER PROFILES
Patent number: 9604145

Abstract: Software at an online game website assigns to a player of a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game a first game task in a conditional series of game tasks. The assignment is based at least in part on a measure of difficulty associated with the first game task. The measure of difficulty depends on a profile associated with the player that includes an Active Social Network (ASN) metric as determined by data that has been read from an in-memory database and that has been retrieved from a social networking website through an application programming interface (API) exposed by the social networking website. Then the software provides a reward to the player upon termination of the conditional series of game tasks. The reward depends at least in part on the game tasks in the conditional series of game tasks that were completed by the player.
Type: Grant
Filed: October 26, 2015
Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
Assignee: Zynga Inc.
Inventors: Travis Morrison, Chandra Janakiraman, Brian Crowder


Source:

http://patents.justia.com/assignee/zynga-inc






PRIOR POST BELOW


ZNGA: DIVORCE MAY LOOSEN PINCUS’ GRIP ON ZYNGA




ZYNGA’S CLASS A SHARES — THE KIND ORDINARY INVESTORS BUY — ARE WORTH ONE VOTE PER SHARE.

CLASS B SHARES GET SEVEN VOTES APIECE, WHILE

CLASS C SHARES — OWNED EXCLUSIVELY BY PINCUS — GET 70.

PINCUS HAS 91.3 PERCENT OF THE CLASS B SHARES AND 100 PERCENT OF CLASS C SHARES.

That’s how,
WITH JUST OVER A TENTH OF THE COMPANY’S SHARES, HE CONTROLS 69.8 PERCENT OF THE VOTE.





IF IT TAKES A MESSY DIVORCE TO SHAKE ZYNGA LOOSE FROM MARK PINCUS’ CONTROL,

THAT MIGHT BE THE BEST POSSIBLE NEWS FOR SHAREHOLDERS.




DIVORCE MAY LOOSEN PINCUS’ GRIP ON ZYNGA
BY THOMAS LEE

APRIL 5, 2017 UPDATED: APRIL 5, 2017 6:00AM

Photo: Catherine Bigelow, Special To The Chronicle
BAMPFA co-chairs Mark and Alison Pincus (left) with gallery dealer Sarah Hoover and her husband, artist Tom Sachs. Jan 2016.
Coming to a court near you: DivorceVille.
ALISON PINCUS, THE WIFE OF ZYNGA CHAIRMAN MARK PINCUS, HAS FILED FOR DIVORCE AND IS CHALLENGING THE COUPLE’S PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENT, ACCORDING TO DOCUMENTS FILED WITH SAN FRANCISCO SUPERIOR COURT.
Should she succeed in breaking the agreement, she could be due for a significant payday. AS AN ANGEL INVESTOR, MARK PINCUS GOT IN ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. And HE OWNS MORE THAN 10 PERCENT OF ZYNGA, the San Francisco game company best known for “FarmVille” and “Words With Friends.”
More importantly, THAT STAKE GIVES HIM CONTROL OF NEARLY 70 PERCENT OF ZYNGA’S SHAREHOLDER VOTE, according to the company’s most recent proxy statement. ANY DIVORCE SETTLEMENT MIGHT DILUTE PINCUS’ SEEMINGLY UNSHAKEABLE CONTROL OVER THE COMPANY he founded in 2007. (Pincus served as CEO twice; former top Electronic Arts executive Frank Gibeau now runs Zynga.)

A Zynga spokeswoman declined to comment. A lawyer representing Alison Pincus did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Alison Pincus, however, faces quite an uphill battle, said Peter Walzer, founding partner of Walzer Melcher LLP law firm near Los Angeles.
Under California law, prenuptial agreements are hard to challenge, said Walzer, who’s not connected to the case. A person must show, among other things, that he or she lacked an independent lawyer before signing it. Or that the subject of the divorce petition did not fully disclose all of his or her assets, he said. (Court filings did not give any details about the Pincuses’ agreement.)
In addition, Alison Pincus risks losing whatever financial support her husband previously agreed to give her, Walzer said. (Alison Pincus co-founded online home-goods retailer One Kings Lane; after raising $229 million from investors, it sold for just $12 million last year.)
“It’s unlikely the court will set aside the prenup,” Walzer said. “The case will probably not have a major effect on Zynga. But we’ll just have to wait and see.”

MARK PINCUS MIGHT WELL FORK OVER CASH AND PROPERTY if there is a settlement, and not touch his Zynga stock. But then again, his STAKE IN THE COMPANY IS WORTH ABOUT $254 MILLION, A CONSIDERABLE ASSET.
Corporate governance experts say the divorce of a CEO or other top executive is not just a family matter.


“SHAREHOLDERS SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO MATTERS INVOLVING THE PERSONAL LIVES” OF TOP COMPANY OFFICIALS,

said David Larcker, director of the Corporate Governance Research Initiative at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
When Tesla filed to go public in 2010, it initially did not disclose that CEO Elon Musk, who had pledged to hold onto most of his stock under the terms of a government loan, was in the middle of divorce proceedings. The company eventually amended its prospectus to note that Musk’s then-wife was seeking to overturn a postnuptial agreement that protected his Tesla stake.
At the least, CEOs and directors must report to shareholders when they sell stock in the company. Four years ago, Best Buy disclosed to regulators that CEO Hubert Joly sold 451,153 shares for $16.7 million to cover the cost of his divorce.


ZYNGA WASN’T JUST A PIONEER IN SOCIAL GAMES THAT SPAM YOUR FRIENDS INTO PLAYING. IT WAS ALSO ONE OF THE FIRST SILICON VALLEY COMPANIES TO SET UP MULTIPLE CLASSES OF SHARES TO GUARANTEE FOUNDER CONTROL, PAVING A PATH THAT MARK ZUCKERBERG OF FACEBOOK AND EVAN SPIEGEL OF SNAP WOULD FOLLOW.


ZYNGA’S CLASS A SHARES — THE KIND ORDINARY INVESTORS BUY — ARE WORTH ONE VOTE PER SHARE.

CLASS B SHARES GET SEVEN VOTES APIECE, WHILE

CLASS C SHARES — OWNED EXCLUSIVELY BY PINCUS — GET 70.

PINCUS HAS 91.3 PERCENT OF THE CLASS B SHARES AND 100 PERCENT OF CLASS C SHARES.

That’s how,
WITH JUST OVER A TENTH OF THE COMPANY’S SHARES, HE CONTROLS 69.8 PERCENT OF THE VOTE.




ACCORDING TO ZYNGA’S ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION, THE COMPANY CAN CONVERT CLASS B AND CLASS C

SHARES INTO CLASS A SHARES. SO THEORETICALLY, MARK PINCUS CAN CONVERT HIS SUPER-VOTING SHARES INTO REGULAR

STOCK AND GIVE THEM TO ALISON PINCUS IN A SETTLEMENT.


But once the conversion happens, those voting rights disappear forever — as might Mark Pincus’ ironclad control.
That’s not the only way a divorce could hurt Zynga. Larcker’s research shows that marital problems can impact corporate strategy. For example, an executive might pursue a more risky strategy in order to replace the wealth he or she lost in the settlement — or become conservative to protect the remaining stake.

Divorce proceedings can also sap a leader’s energy and attention.

As chairman, Mark Pincus isn’t charged with overseeing day-to-day operations.
Nevertheless, it would be hard to separate Zynga from its founder. The first time he stepped down as CEO, he remained closely involved with product development. And he replaced his designated successor, former Xbox executive Don Mattrick, after less than two years. Mark Pincus remains a member of the board’s product committee.

Here’s the bottom line: Zynga shares haven’t crossed the $5 mark in the past three years. THE MARKET HAS SPOKEN. IF IT TAKES A MESSY DIVORCE TO SHAKE ZYNGA LOOSE FROM MARK PINCUS’ CONTROL, THAT MIGHT BE THE BEST POSSIBLE NEWS FOR SHAREHOLDERS.

Source:
www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Divorce-may-loosen-Pincus-grip-on-Zynga-11050459.php