As many casual gamers already know, the company Omgpop, makers of the mobile sensation Draw Something, was acquired by Zynga, makers of Farmville, Words with Friends, and many other popular social and/or casual games. This morning I saw an article on Gamasutra about the one Omgpop employee that didn’t sign on to continue working under Zynga.
Zynga had sent standard job offers to all of the current Omgpop employees earlier that day, for them to continue their employment under the new regime…
The lone holdout’s name is Shay Pierce, and he’s got a few reasons for his decision that are perfectly logical, and quite admirable. He explains them very well himself in the Gamasutra article, so I wont’ bother repeating them, but I have a lot of respect for anyone who can stand up for themselves in this way in today’s world.
So what is Shay Pierce doing now? He’s going back to his roots. Previously, Shay, as Deep Plaid Games, developed a game for iOS called Connectrode. I’ve downloaded it. I’ve played it. It’s fun! I do wish it had updated graphics for the Retina display, but that’s not really a deal breaker. I have a lot of respect for someone that can stick by his morals in the face of a situation like his, and I’m happy to support him with the $0.99 contribution it cost me to play Connectrode.
Lots of luck, Shay. I hope we see some more great things from you and from Deep Plaid Games!
