Zynga unveils FarmVille 2 game

Online game company Zynga has unveiled a new version of its popular Farmville game, saying it wants to entice former players back and attract new players. FarmVille 2 is designed to emulate farming more completely -- with a stronger storyline, a virtual ecosystem and more player interaction, CNET reported Wednesday. For example, after harvesting crops a player can decide to use them in a kitchen to make baked goods or sell them on the roadside for coins, which can then be used to buy more items and supplies for the farm. The original FarmVille, launched in 2009, became an Internet gaming phenomenon, played by at least 83 million people. Since then, the game has lost players, with only 1/10 as many players now than at its peak, pushing Zynga to release the new version. "We wanted it to feel very fresh," FarmVille 2 Director of Design Wright Bagwell said. FarmVille 2 isn't meant as a replacement for the original, he said, but rather a new take on the farming experience. "We expect that people will want to play both games," Bagwell said, noting Zynga plans to add content to the original FarmVille as well.