You might think that Zynga would be slowing down on the M&A activity after massive layoffs, but that's not the case. Like a lot of companies that are in the midst of a transition period, it's still doing deals, albeit smaller ones that fit its new strategy.
That looks to be the case with Spooky Cool Labs, a 40 person Chicago games company that Zynga picked up today for an undisclosed amount. Spooky Cool's main project at the moment is a Wizard of Oz-branded city building social game, something that's right up Zynga's alley, but it's probably the company's deep talent bench when it comes to gambling that drew Zynga's eye. Spooky Cool was founded by Joe Kamikow, former VP of game design for casino gaming machine manufacturer IGT, and one of the world's foremost designers of slot machines. He's also in the Pinball Hall of Fame.
Spooky Cool is staying in Chicago after the deal, and will work with Zynga's casino gaming division.
