Zynga, Hasbro partner to make toys, games

San Fransisco: Hasbro Inc , the iconic American toy company, and social game company Zynga Inc said on Thursday they would join forces to develop toys and games based on Zynga’s games like FarmVille.

The companies said Hasbro would pay for the license to make products based on Zynga’s games including CityVille and Words With Friends, which are popular on social media website Facebook. They did not disclose how much Hasbro would pay for the license.

The deal also will allow both companies to develop merchandise featuring Hasbro and Zynga brands. The first products should be available this fall, they said.

There are more than 227 million active monthly players of Zynga’s social games online.

Rovio, the company behind the popular Angry Birds video games, has sold millions of plush toys, and its Angry Birds: Knock On Wood board game has been a best seller on Amazon.com for several months.

Hasbro shares closed up 2.4 percent to $36.59, while Zynga ended the day down 3.2 percent at $13.25.

Reuters