Words With Friends Goes Back to School

Popular Word Game Reimagined for the Classroom with New Educational Features for Students and Teachers

SAN FRANCISCO, July 26, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To celebrate the kickoff of the 2016 school year, Zynga (NASDAQ:ZNGA), a leading social game developer, announced today the launch of Words With Friends EDU. The free educational game, based on the beloved gameplay ofWords With Friends, is now available for students, teachers and parents on the App Store for iPad, Google Play for Android tablet and on the Web.

"Words With Friends EDU reimagines the Words With Friends experience for a game that's as entertaining as it's effective for students, whether they have an advanced vocabulary or are learning English as their second language," said Vaibhav Sahgal, General Manager, Words With Friends. "Working collaboratively with teachers and education experts enabled us to create a fun and engaging experience that also increases students' vocabulary and educational outcomes. With students showing significant gains in the use of academic words in their first six sessions ofWords With Friends EDU, we are proud to deliver this new learning tool to students, teachers and parents as they start the school year."

Launched in 2009, and named one of the App Store's Top 10 free games of all time, Words With Friends continues to be the world's most popular mobile word game with an estimated 55 million matches being played at any given moment. Words With Friends EDU builds off of the Words With Friends heritage by pairing engaging wordplay with new educational features to help students in grades 4^th through 8^th learn high-value academic words for success in the classroom and beyond.

Innovative, new features of Words With Friends EDU include:

• Power Words: The ability for students to earn bonus points through the use of high-value academic words, including those frequently used in required reading, textbooks and educational assessments.
• Definition Hints: Students can use hints to access the definition of the highest-scoring Power Words to meaningfully connect them to academic words and their meanings.
• Badges and Avatars: Students earn badges for reaching educational milestones as they play, and each badge unlocks items to let them customize their avatars.
• Interactive Dashboard: Teachers and parents can track students' gameplay and learning through a dynamic dashboard measuring individual achievements and signs that students need help, as well as progress against Common Core Standards.
• Lesson Plans: Words With Friends EDU features a curriculum-based suite of lesson plans for teachers to supplement the game in their classrooms.

Words With Friends EDU was developed in partnership with teachers and education experts to ensure gameplay and accompanying curriculum and lesson plans drive deeper learning and alignment with Common Core Standards. In addition to engaging teachers at every step in the game's development, Words With Friends EDU was beta-tested in over 20 classrooms with more than 1,500 students.

"Words With Friends EDU is not only highly engaging for students, it also provides teachers and parents with meaningful insights into the vocabulary and language skills of individual children," said Jeff Brain, teacher, Del Mar Middle School. "In working with the Words With Friendsteam on the development of Words With Friends EDU, it was important that teachers and parents, regardless of their level of technology proficiency, could maximize the benefits of the game. Through easy-to-understand dashboards and lesson plans, Words With Friends EDUdelivers a truly unique learning experience for students, teachers and parents."

Words With Friends EDU is available to download and play for free on the App Store for iPad, Google Play for Android tablet and on the Web. For more information about Words With Friends EDU, visit the game's community channels on Facebook and Twitter.

Game logo and images can be found here: https://zynga.box.com/s/vak1xuveub7zxzxnqpza1d00ly9du6u2

About Zynga Inc.
Since its founding in 2007, Zynga's mission has been to connect the world through games. To-date, more than 1 billion people have played Zynga's games across Web and mobile, including FarmVille, Zynga Poker, Words With Friends, Hit it Rich! Slots and CSR Racing. Zynga's games are available on a number of global platforms including Apple iOS, Google Android, Facebook and Zynga.com. The company is headquartered inSan Francisco, Calif., and has additional offices in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland and India. Learn more about Zynga at http://blog.zynga.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Zynga Contact:
Erin Smith-Cheng
(650) 224-2462
esmithcheng@zynga.com

Source: ZYNGA INC.

Words With Friends - Chat messages not showing

Hi Wordies,

We understand that we still have some players who are experiencing issues with chat messages that are not showing in their game even though they are getting notification that they received a Chat message. We are aware of this matter and based on our investigation, most of the affected players are from mobile players and they are currently using the Classic Words with Friends app.

We have a solution to this concern and to rectify this, players would need to download our latest build in the App Store or Google Play.

Words with Friends on Google Play: Please Click Here 

Words with Friends on Apple Store: Please Click Here 

In particular, if you play Words with Friends on multiple devices – like a phone and a tablet -  you may need to update to the newest version on both devices.

If you are experiencing issues like this, kindly inform us by hitting the "Band-Aid" button at the bottom of this article, to let us know how many players are affected.

Words With Friends Player Support

Words With Friends Crowns the Ultimate Player Champion at the 2015 Wordie Games!

After months of intense competition spanning thousands of matches, Words With Friends crowned the ultimate player champion at the 2015 Wordie Games!

Held on Sept. 10th at Electronic Sports League studios in Burbank, Calif., the 2015 Wordie Games was the first-ever live Words With Friends player tournament. Selected out of 90,000 in-game participants, the finalists of the 2015 Wordie Games competed for the title of ultimate player champion and grand prize of $25,000. The Wordie Games were streamed live in-game, giving players around the world the opportunity to cheer on fellow Words With Friends fans.

Finalists Stephen Lydic, Mary Hansen, Conrad Bassett-Bouchard and Leesa Berahovich, competed head to head, with a little help and inspiration from celebrity coaches, and Words With Friends fans, Ian Somerhalder and Sophia Bush. In the end, Leesa Berahovich of Berkeley, Calif., was crowned the ultimate player champion, with the winning word “koi”.

“It’s an indescribable experience to be able to join fellow Words With Friends players to compete in the 2015 Wordie Games,” said Berahovich . “I feel elated and ecstatic to be named as the first-ever Words With Friends player champion.”

The coaches provided players with support and even a few of their favorite tips on finding the winning word and staying calm during the tournament.

“I can be crazy competitive and Words With Friends is one of my favorite ways to compete against my friends and family,” said Somerhalder. “Coaching in the 2015 Wordie Games was such a cool way to meet and play with other Words With Friends fans, plus it was fun getting to have some friendly head-to-head competition with my good friend Sophia Bush.”

“I have been playing Words With Friends for years and even competed in a charity tournament in 2012,” said Bush. “It was so exciting to work with the Words With Friends team again and get to actually coach and play alongside fellow Words With Friends players. I’m such a word nerd and I love playing Words With Friends when I’m taking a break during filming or when I get a chance to relax at home. It’s one of my favorite ways to unplug while still giving my brain a good workout.”

In addition to competing for the grand prize and championship title, finalists teamed up with their coaches for a friendly charitable tournament. The winning team, led by Somerhalder, donated their $5,000 prize to the ASPCA to support their mission of preventing animal cruelty.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2015 Wordie Games and congratulations to our Words With Friends champion Leesa Berahovich!

2015 Wordie Games Semi-finals highlights video

Catch Up on the Action! 
64 out of 90,000 of your fellow Wordies arrived at the Words With Friends headquarters to compete for the final 4, and advance to the Finals. Check out the highlight video below as 4 Wordies arose victories, and received the VIP trip to the LIVE finals to compete and be crowned the first ever Wordie Games Champion. 
Stay tuned September 10th to watch the Finals, streaming live in-game hosted by Sophia Bush and Ian Somerhalder, right on your mobile device!

Calling All Worldly Wordies! Words With Friends Now Available in 7 Global Languages

Hola, Ola, Ciao Words With Friends fans!

At any given moment, there are an estimated 55 million Words With Friends matches being played around the world, connecting fans of word play across cities, countries and continents. Starting today, Words With Friends is going global by allowing players to experience their favorite word discovery game in multiple languages including:

• English & British English – Words With Friends
• Spanish – Palabras con amigos
• French – Mots entre Amis
• German – Wortspaß mit Freunden
• Italian – Parole tra amici
• Brazilian Portuguese – Palavras com Amigos

Launched in 2009, Words With Friends redefined the word category on mobile. Last year, we introduced a completely refreshed game fully loaded with dynamic features for a sleeker, smarter and more social experience. Through Words With Friends language localization, not only can players now choose what language to play in wherever and whenever they want, they can seamlessly carry over their current game, stats, opponents and full game history.

Words With Friends additional language offerings provide players with an immersive experience including sharpening word skills with Solo Play and Stats to track and compare high scores, number of games completed and average word score with their friends and recent opponents.

More than sixty-percent of our players use Words With Friends to stay connected with their friends and family. In addition, millions of players have made special connections through the game either by strengthening an existing relationship or fostering a new one. Some players have even found their perfect match beyond the game as friendly competition expanded into a real-world relationship.

“Little did I know when I started a game of Words With Friends a year ago that it would be with my future wife,” says Sofia Vanessa Hernandez, a self-proclaimed word geek from Seattle, who met Caroline Sargeant, a UK-based HR recruiter, on a dating website in 2014 and proposed a friendly game of Words With Friends. Since then, the pair has made Words With Friends their favorite couples activity, playing multiple matches a day to stay connected while living overseas from one another. “From the very beginning, Words With Friends was the impetus for our relationship and now we are planning to get married. I’m so grateful to Words With Friends for providing us with a platform to not only connect, but to fall in love.”

In conjunction with the launch of Words With Friends additional languages, we are also thrilled to introduce an exciting new gameplay mode – Fast Play. Fast Play gives Words With Friendsplayers a quicker way to victory through starting and winning matches in record time. Fast Play features a smaller game board, fewer tiles and a 24-hour time limit to make your move. Currently available for Words With Friends English players, Fast Play will be rolling out for additional languages in the coming months.

Whether brushing up on a native language, refining wordy skills when trying to learn a new language or staying close with their friends and family across the globe, Words With Friendsnow connects more people around the world than ever before. Words With Friends additional languages are available to play for free on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touchand Google Play.

Grab your tiles and let’s P-L-A-Y!

Words With Friends Arrives on the Apple Watch!

We’re proud to announce that Words With Friends can now be enjoyed on a wrist near you – download the world’s most popular mobile word game today on the Apple Watch!

As huge fans of Apple products we couldn’t resist the chance to bring Words With Friends to Apple’s most personal device yet. Words With Friends on the Apple Watch is a custom app designed to give players a lightweight and fun way to stay on top of their game and plan their next move. Players can now track their live games, view their game boards to strategize their next move and chat with in-game opponents right from their Apple Watch. Using Glances on the Apple Watch, players can swipe to see how many moves they have left, view notifications and pending chats and expand their vocabulary by accessing Word of The Day.

We’re committed to delighting our players by giving them more ways to enjoy Words With Friends – even if it means not having to take your phone out of your pocket. We hope you enjoy the new custom Words With Friends experience on the Apple Watch. Make your move, and download Words With Friends today on the App Store.

-Vaibhav Sahgal, General Manager, Words With Friends

Enjoy Some Player L-O-V-E from Words With Friends

This Valentine’s Day, we are taking the time to send a L-O-V-E letter (or two) to our loyalWords With Friends players for participating in our fourth annual Valentine’s Day Survey. This year, nearly 70,000 Words With Friends players gave us a sneak peek into all the ways they express their love on the game board and in the real-world.

Almost 1,000 people have found their perfect match through Words With Friends – and gotten married! While not all tiles led to marriage, tens of thousands of players have developed lasting connections (1 in 4 have even taken their relationship beyond the game), re-kindled old flames, stayed close with their loved ones and kept the spark alive, all through Words With Friends.

We also learned a ton about our players’ dating preferences – what turns them on, turns them off, and even a few secrets about where and when they can be found playing Words With Friends, including:

• That’s my word don’t wear it out: When it comes to dating faux pas, overuse of a single word or phrase ranks #1 (among both men and women) as the worst of the wordy habits. So if you, like, find yourself saying “like” too much, you might want to ditch it on the date.
• Poor grammar kills the mood for 1 in 4 men and nearly one third of women.
• Bye bye Bae: Nearly half of all players surveyed (43%) want to see this popular pet name retired.  “Boo” was close behind, with nearly 1 in 3 players wanting to remove it from the romantic lexicon.
• You’re shaggadelic baby! “Shagging” took the top spot for the sexy international word that players would love to see added to our everyday vernacular. However, it might be time to expand our global vocabularies – one third of Words With Friends players aren’t familiar with British terms “snogging”, “sharking” and “randy”.
• Date night…is also game time: 40% of millennial Words With Friends players have played the game while out on a date.
• Forget pillow talk: 90% of Words With Friends players contemplate their next move in bed.

Our hearts were warmed by the tales of love and connection we received from players near and far, and in honor of Valentine’s Day, we wanted to remind you how very special you are to us. Thank you for your dedication, passion and, most importantly, your impeccable word play.

Words With Friends - See The World With Words On Tour!

Zynga is giving fans of Words With Friends a whole new reason to renew their passports with the worldwide launch of Words On Tour! From the team who brought Words With Friends to hundreds of millions of players around the globe, Words On Tour features word-based puzzles and progression-style gameplay set in a dynamic journey through some of the most exciting cities in the world.

Words On Tour challenges word-making enthusiasts to solve hundreds of word puzzles by strategically creating words, using bonus tiles and dodging hazards. Traveling through exciting global locales, including Tokyo, Cairo and London, players are rewarded for overcoming real-world travel woes, such as bad weather and roadblock hazards, on the way to their next destination. And, because there’s nothing more important than a good travel buddy, with Words On Tour players can travel the globe with their friends without ever leaving home by tracking friends’ travel progress and providing lives to keep the journey going.

Words On Tour is available to download for free on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and Google Play, which will offer Android players the benefits of Google + Sign-in.Words On Tour is also beginning its roll out today on Facebook, allowing players to enjoy a connected experience between mobile and web versions.

Bon Voyage!

New Words with Friends - How do I submit a mobile support ticket?

Hi Wordies,

Should you have queries or concerns in New Words with Friends, you can contact our Support by following the steps below:

1. Go to your Profile tab and tap the Help button.

2. Tap Support to see the different options available.

3. Check to see if your issue can be resolved by one of the articles. Select Other Issues if your concern is none of the above.

4. Select an issue from the list.

5. Tap, "That didn't work. Help!" button if the article did not resolve your issue.

6. Select a category for your issue.

7. Give a detailed description of your issue, enter your email address and tap Submit.

Thanks,

New Words with Friends Player Support

New Words With Friends – Now Available Worldwide!

Zynga is proud to launch New Words With Friends today to players around the world on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and for Google Play. Now sleeker, smarter and more social, New Words With Friends builds on its roots as a word-building game that challenges players to create the highest-scoring words while playing against friends, family or random opponents.

Its new features seamlessly fuse with an innovative redesign that delivers sleek animations, easy navigation, and simplified interactions throughout game play. Launched in 2009, and named by Apple as the App Store’s No. 1 free game of all time, Words With Friends continues to be the world’s most popular mobile word game with an estimated 55 million matches being played around the world at any given moment.

A huge T-H-A-N-K-S to the millions of players that have helped shape Words With Friends into the game it is today. Download New Words With Friends today, and check out our official launch trailer on YouTube.

Connecting Millions of Players Through Word-Play, Zynga’s Words With Friends Celebrates its 5 Year Anniversary

Every day for the past five years, millions of players have connected and competed in Words With Friends. This amazing milestone reflects an enduring mainstream appeal around the passion for word-play and has led to countless special connections through the game.

With more than 55 million matches played around the world at any given moment, we’ve been inspired by the stories of players fostering relationships with new friends, strengthening existing relationships and even finding romance through the game. Players continually tell us that playing the game means more to them than placing the highest scoring word, and more than 60% say they play Words With Friends to stay connected with friends and family. Some players have even found the perfect match beyond the game as their friendly competition expanded to a relationship in real-life.

An astounding 58 billion words have been played over the past five years that equate to 1.2 trillion points scored. And, with 217 billion letters played, it’s hard to believe that 5,478 words have only been played once. Check out our wordy infographic that captures the connections and word-play over five years.

We want to thank our millions of loyal players who are the reason we’ve reached this incredible milestone. Thank you for playing and we can’t wait to spell out our next milestone with you!

New Words With Friends - How to get the version of the game

Hi Wordies,

Here's some useful information on how to get your Game Version.

1. Open the game
2. Scroll down games list to the end
3. Highlight and copy the build number



New Words With Friends Team!

Words With Friends Valentine's Day Survey Reveals Players Thrive on Competition, Love Smooth Talkers, and Still Play With Their Exes

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 11, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --Zynga Inc. (Nasdaq:ZNGA), a leading social game developer, today announced the results of its third annual Words With Friends Valentine's Day survey. The results showcase players' passion for word rivalry, penchant for smooth talkers, and preferences for expressing their love.

A photo accompanying this release is available athttp://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=23539

Celebrating its fifth year anniversary in 2014, Words With Friends is a catalyst for social connections as people challenge friends, family, or random opponents to create the highest scoring words. Respondents to this year's survey divulged that they thrive on competition with their partner (63%) while nearly one-third admitted to purposely losing a match against a friend or loved one. Proving romance is still alive, 83% admit to having written a love letter to someone. And, it's no surprise that 86% of respondents who admit to losing a match on purpose to a loved one likewise say they have written a love letter.

The survey also captured players' love stories in their own words as hundreds of respondents shared how their play on words has fostered a relationship through the game, led to a perfect match, and even provided a way to stay connected to their ex. Through Smart Match - a way for players to find a player of equal skill level and pace of play - many players have formed friendships with their opponents and even found love. With 1 in 54 respondents saying they have dated someone they met as a random match, many have stumbled upon reasons to fly across the world, walk down the aisle, and even discovered that their anonymous opponent was actually their husband. But while romantics have taken both their affection and their competition to the online arena, certain moments still provoke a blush. Players confess that playing words such as "thrust", "aroused", "throb", and "loins" leads to awkward moments with their opponent - although that doesn't stop them from playing these words nearly 9,000 times each day.

*Words With Friends survey results - 11,317 respondents share their love of word-play:

• Kate Hudson edges out Alec Baldwin for most sexy Words With Friends celebrity player by seven votes
  
• "Thrust" tops the list as most awkward "sexy" word to say or play - "aroused", "throb", and "loins" tie for second
  
• 60% thrive on competition with their partner
  
• Smooth talker or texter and using words properly are players' two biggest turn-ons
  
• 83% have written a love letter to someone
  
• Nearly one-third have lost a Words With Friends match against a friend or loved one on purpose
  
• "Love", "amour", "adore", and "passion" are favorite "love" words
  
• 1 in 54 respondents have dated a random opponent they met by selecting Smart Match in the game
  
• 60% are in a relationship

"We're not surprised by how many players flirt, find love, and compete for the hearts of their perfect match through the game as we've found that competition can be incredibly conducive to love connections," said Abhinav Agrawal, Vice President of Words With Friends at Zynga. "Whether it's agonizing over the ideal word to play against a flirty opponent or the anxiety of sending the ultimate Valentine's message, we do recommend choosing your words wisely - love really is a battlefield."

Launched in July 2009, and named by Apple as the App Store's No. 1 free game of all time, Words With Friends remains one of the most popular online word games with an estimated 55 million matches being played around the world at any given moment. Words With Friends can be played in eight languages and is available to download for free from the App Store on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, as well as Google Play, Facebook, Amazon Kindle Fire, and Barnes and Noble NOOK.

Game logo and images can be found here: https://zynga.box.com/s/31ohi4eizmybrze1mlti

For press enquiries, please contact: Michelle Kramer at press@zynga.com

*Methodology: Data was collected via an in-game poll from 11,317 Words With Friends players from January 24^th through January 31^st, 2014.

About Zynga Inc.

Zynga Inc. is a leading provider of social game services, which include popular web and mobile franchises such as FarmVille, Words With Friends and Zynga Poker that are played by millions of consumers around the world. For the quarter ended December 31, 2013, Zynga had approximately 112 million monthly active users playing its games.Zynga's games are available on a number of global platforms, including Facebook,Zynga.com, Apple iOS and Google Android. Zynga is headquartered in San Francisco, Calif. Learn more about Zynga at http://blog.zynga.com or follow us on Twitter andFacebook.

The Zynga Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=11743

The photo is also available at Newscom, www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress.

Source: Zynga Inc.

Words With Friends Celebrates F-I-V-E Years of Word Play

Let’s C-E-L-E-B-R-A-T-E! It’s a milestone year for Words With Friends as 2014 marks the game’s 5^th year anniversary!  In celebration, we have some creative ways to “high five” our players for making Words With Friends such a beloved game.

‘Five’ is a short, five-tile word that stands alone at 11 points but stands for so much more when we think of what it’s meant for players.  For five years, Words With Friends has connected millions of players around the world to challenge each other by creating the highest scoring words while playing against friends, family or even a Smart Match opponent.

Since 2009, our players have helped Words With Friends become the App Store’s #1 free game of all time with as many as 55 million matches played at any given moment.  What makes us want to celebrate most?  More than 50% of players say the game has helped strengthen their relationships with friends and family.

We’re thrilled to dedicate our 5th year to our faithful wordies by shining the spotlight on our players that make the game so smart.  Throughout the year, players can challenge themselves even more with word themed Anniversary Editions, presented as Weekly Challenges by our resident word experts and surprise guest word curators that we’ll soon unveil.

We’ll also reveal opportunities to take part in our celebration through in-game activities and fun surprises that will bring our players together.

Starting today until February 1^st, take our third annual Valentine’s Day Survey in the game – this year’s theme is ‘Love Letters’.  Tell us what you love!  Have you made a love match throughWords with Friends? Do you play with your ex?  Which “sexy words” do you feel are downright awkward to say or play?  At the end of the survey, write a ‘Love Letter’ to share your story of a special connection or relationship that you’ve fostered in the game – your ‘Love Letter’ could appear on the Zynga blog.

Be sure to check out the Words With Friends Facebook fan page here and on Twitter @WordsWFriends for more ’5 Years of Word Play’ updates.

Happy 5^th year anniversary! Consider this our own ‘Love Letter’ to you – our beloved players!

Crosspromotion: Hidden Shadows - Words with friends

Collect Hidden Shadows rewards when you play Facebook's most popular word game!

Free 5 SILVER when you install! Plus, get bonus prizes when you play 5, 10 and 20 new words in the classic word game!

Bubble Safari - Words with Friends CROSS PROMOTION

Collect Bubble Safari rewards when you play Facebook's most popular word game!

Free 5 SAFARI CASH when you install! Plus, get bonus prizes when you play 5, 10 and 20 new words in the classic word game!

FarmVille 2 - Words with Friends CROSS PROMOTION

Collect FarmVille 2 rewards when you play Facebook's most popular word game!

Free 15 POWER PACK when you install! Plus, get bonus prizes when you play 5, 10 and 20 new words in the classic word game!

On the 12th day of December, Zynga gave to me, a gift card to JCPenney

Zynga is teaming with JCPenney this holiday season to celebrate our players with a 12 Day Holiday Giveaway! Starting today, you can play a selection of popular Zynga mobile games for a chance to win more than $30,000 in prizes. Grab some eggnog, turn up the holiday tunes and play these games for a chance to win!

• Words With Friends
• Stampede Run
• Scramble With Friends
• Gems With Friends
• What’s the Phrase
• Matching With Friends

JCPenny Gift Cards Anyone?

Launching today until December 23rd, the 12 Day Holiday Giveaway simply requires players to click on the holiday banner in each of the six participating Zynga mobile games to enter daily for a chance to win $1,000 in JCPenney gift cards. Want more? Celebrate with Tweets! Share your #Zynga12Days entry on Twitter for more chances to win!

On December 24th, each entry across all games during the 12 days puts you in the drawing for the grand prize giveaway of $10,000 cash + $10,000 in JCPenney gift cards. So before you put out the milk and cookies, check to see if you’re the lucky winner!

Come celebrate the season with Zynga and JCPenney. Go to Zynga12Days.com to learn more and play the 12 Day Holiday Giveaway on iOS or Android.