Zynga to Launch New Game 'Empires & Allies' on Wednesday

NEW YORK -- Social gaming powerhouse Zynga late Tuesday announced the global launch of Empires & Allies on Wednesday, its first strategy combat game and a release that includes more social features than any of its other games.

Debuting in 12 languages (English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, Turkish and Traditional Chinese – and, for the first time, Malay, Korean and Norwegian), Empires & Allies is also the company’s first title from its L.A. studio.

With more than 250 million monthly active users, Zynga, which is expected to file for an initial public offering soon, has drawn players to such games as CityVille, FarmVille, FrontierVille, Mafia Wars and Cafe World.

Set on a multi-island game board, the game weaves familiar game play elements from popular Zynga titles into a story-driven combat crusade. Players aim to build a thriving island nation by arming themselves against enemy forces and preparing for battle.

“Empires & Allies is strategy combat gone social – think CityVille meets Risk,” said Amer Ajami, executive producer of Empires & Allies. “We’re focused on bringing our players a new form of entertainment and a strategy game is definitely a new playground for us. Play is in everyone’s DNA, and this game lets you have fun and get creative by choosing your own destiny, building a nation and eventually conquering the world.”

The game includes play-by-play tips from Scarlett, a personal military adviser, and 30 characters who help guide play and reveal plot secrets along the way.

Among the game's characters is the Raven, described as "an unapologetic tyrant who wanted his pet mascot to be an eagle, but he couldn't catch one," and Captain Krunsch, "an old school seaman who relishes taking out his enemies the old-fashioned way -- with his bare, arthritic hands."