Social games pioneer Zynga has released a version of the hit FarmVille tailored for smartphones and tablets in the hope of reaping a bumper crop of players.
The San Francisco-based game maker set on its heels by a shift away from desktop computers is out to regain momentum with the mobile-format FarmVille 2: Country Escape for iPhone, iPad and Android devices.
"Just as the original FarmVille created a global phenomena when it launched, we expect the same from Country Escape," game general manager Jamie Davies told AFP while providing an early glimpse at the title.
The original FarmVille will mark its fifth anniversary in June.
More than 400 million people around the world have played the game, which has brought in more than a billion dollars in revenue for Zynga.
"FarmVille really put social gaming on the map," Davies said.
"It has stood the test of time."
The new mobile version of the game was released globally in more than dozen languages.
Since tens of millions of people still play FarmVille with friends at Facebook, the mobile version connects back to the leading social network.
It also connects with Facebook rival Google+.
However, the mobile version of the game gives people the option of playing FarmVille without friends for the first time in the franchise, according to Zynga vice president of games Jonathan Knight.
FarmVille is essentially what it sounds like, in that players feed livestock, nurture crops, craft goods and virtually tend to other aspects of country life.
