Zynga Has Begun Testing Accepting Payments In Bitcoin

Online gaming company Zynga announced it has begun testing accepting payments in Bitcoin for seven of its games
By Chris Ry

Gaming giant Zynga has started to accept the cryptocurrency as a payment option for those buying tokens for virtual goods on the web versions of FarmVille 2, CastleVille, ChefVille, CoasterVille, Hidden Chronicles, Hidden Shadows and CityVille. It makes Zynga the first major gaming company to accept Bitcoin. Now you can use bitcoin to help plow your digital fields.

Zynga, best known for online games like "FarmVille," has begun testing the use of bitcoin for in-game payments. In a statement posted to the website Reddit, Zynga said it is working with BitPay, a bitcoin payments company, to accept the currency in a handful of its games.

Bitcoin, of course, is the digital currency which has attracted attention for attributes that include its anonymous nature, rapid price fluctuations and techy feel. Even the Winklevoss twins have jumped on the bandwagon.

The test will include games such as "FarmVille 2," "CastleVille," and hidden object game "Hidden Chronicles," Zynga said.

On the mobile front, considering that Zynga has a huge business on iOS devices, extending Bitcoin acceptance there could prove problematic, considering that Apple has recently shown that it does not support Bitcoin transactions.

Up to now, Bitcoin has not made much headway in the world of gaming, although it is seeing some traction in online gambling, where one Bitcoin-wielding player netted a $1.3 million win on one Bitcoin-based gambling site.

One of the attractive points about Bitcoin compared to more established currencies and payment platforms is that transaction fees tend to be lower than those of platforms that transact in more established currencies like dollars.

Source Courtesy: network world.com