Zynga sticks with what works: Riches of Olympus is its next mobile slots game

Zynga has a plan to avoid getting left behind on mobile, and it involves more social casino games.

The publisher announced today that it has a new Zynga Casino product available to download now on iOS. The game, called Slots: Riches of Olympus, features Zeus and other Roman gods and focuses on real Las Vegas-style slots mechanics. Riches of Olympus joins Zynga Poker and the recently released Hit It Rich! slots game in Zynga’s stable of casino titles for mobile.

While the social-gaming publisher has struggled to translate its huge success with games like FarmVille on Facebook to mobile, the company’s casino properties do tend to perform well. For example, Hit It Rich! is currently the top-downloaded free iPad game in the casino category. Riches of Olympus is part of the publisher’s efforts to expand on the mobile categories that are currently generating revenue.

The other part of that plan is to release games with high production values, according to Zynga executive vice president of games Barry Cottle.

“When I came in and looked at what we were doing, … we decided that we needed to get back to focusing on quality,” Cottle told GamesBeat. “Quality in experiences and excellence in execution.”

When we asked what that means for casino slots games, the executive explained that it wants to make things that look and feel good. Cottle specifically cited games like Candy Crush Saga, which has a simple puzzle mechanic that players respond well to due the extra animations and special effects.

Outside of Words With Friends, Zynga’s only real highlights in mobile are its casino games. Cottle says that they’ve stabilized that market, and now it’s time to expand on it. While Zynga did recently acquire mobile developer NaturalMotion, which makes iOS and Android hit CSR Racing, it’s clear that it sees slots and other Las Vegas-style games as a market it needs to get more from.

“Slots is the fastest-growing segment inside the Social Casino category, and Riches of Olympus delivers a uniquely social, high quality Las Vegas-style experience for slots lovers,” said Cottle. “We expect 2014 to be a transformative year for the Zynga Casino franchise and look forward to exceeding our player’s expectations.”