Who could have predicted 20 years ago (or even 10) that virtual farming would be one of the most lucrative businesses on the Internet?
Zynga hosts several games on the web and through Facebook, including FarmVille, Mafia Wars, FishVille, Treasure Isle, Friends For Sale and many more. The company makes its money by linking to partners and charging users for "energy," which gives those gamers an edge in the otherwise free-to-play games.
FarmVille alone has more than 80 million players, and it's employing some creative ways to make money — brand-sponsored crops, for example. The valuation makes even more sense when you consider the fact that Zynga plans to expand to mobile platforms like the iPhone, the iPad and Android smartphones soon; there's a lot of money to be made in that world.
All business successes aside, some folks aren't fans of the games, usually because they often see unwanted game-related updates in their Facebook news feeds. If you're one of those people, check out our article on how to block FarmVille on Facebook.