BigPoint CEO: Social game company sales values are "crazy"

$182 million. $300 million. $563.2 million. These are the kind of numbers that are getting thrown around casually in social gaming acquisitions these days, and they could go even higher, especially if industry-leader Zynga decides to sell out. But are these companies really worth as much as their buyers think they are?

As far as BigPoint CEO Heiko Hubertz is concerned, the answer is a definite "No." In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz the head of the online game publisher expressed extreme skepticism over the amount of money behind some recent high profile buyouts. "Just look at the Disney and Playdom acquisition," Hubertz said. "That was a crazy valuation from my point of view. We're also in the same segment and if you want to grow at the same speed as your competitors you cannot only grow organically, you have to buy other companies. In 12 months, maybe 18 months the prices will be more realistic and then we can look at buying more companies."
But are the prices so unrealistic now? That largely depends on what you think of the future prospects of social gaming. If you agree with Screen Digest's prediction that social gaming is going to be worth $1.5 billion a year by 2014, then investing millions for an established front-runner in the space doesn't seem so ridiculous. On the other hand, if you think social games are a fad that most players will soon grow tired of, those millions of dollars might as well be toilet paper.

Hubertz, for his part, is looking to zig where others are zagging by scooping up what he sees as struggling, undervalued publishers in the traditional console market. "In the traditional games industry, in the boxed industry, there are developers who are really struggling and they are not asking for high valuation, they are just asking for survival," he said. "We're looking exactly for these kind of developers because when it comes to high quality 3D games they have the experience. We can just give them another engine, they don't need to use the Xbox or PlayStation technology, they can use our web technology. They can still develop the same quality of game it's just for a browser."

AM Linkage: Zynga worth more than Electronic Arts, How to prep for zombie invasion

Zynga's Value Tops Electronic Arts as Virtual-Goods Sales Surge [Bloomberg]

10 games to help you prepare for a zombie invasion [Gamasutra]

Why social game maker Zynga wants a patent on virtual currencies [Venture Beat]

Report: Your Office Cube-Mate is Stalking Your Facebook Wall [Social Times]

Zynga "expanding operations into Ireland" [Gamesindustry.biz]

Facebook, Groupon And Zynga Investor Mail.ru (aka, DST) Shoots For $5.7B Valuation In IPO [TechCrunch]

What Disney Got in the Playdom Acquisition [Inside Social Games]

Earn 2 free FarmVille Farm Cash in A Christmas Carol Promotion

Thanks to the good folks at FarmVille Feed, we've come to learn that Zynga has launched yet another free Farm Cash promotion in FarmVille.

This time, the promotion is for the upcoming release of Disney's A Christmas Carol on DVD. Simply click on the sponsored link window as seen at right, and you'll be able to watch the movie trailer and answer a question about your own holiday memories.

After that's said and done, you'll be rewarded with 2 Farm Cash, which can be found added to your total immediately upon refreshing the page.

We personally have yet to have this offer spawn on our own farms, but with the holiday season approaching, will we see more holiday-themed offers being given to FarmVille players? Stay tuned to find out.

Tron: Legacy on Facebook puts you in the Light Cycle

You've seen the film and you've already beaten the games to a pulp, but now is your chance to become part of Tron just like our good friend Jeff Bridges, except with far less CGI. To help fuel the buzz of its upcoming sequel (as if it needs anymore), Tron: Legacy, Disney has created an interesting Facebook app titled "Get on the Grid" that will launch you into what appears to be one of the major scenes in the movie that releases Dec. 17.

Take a look at how the app works after the break.

Developed by Alfred and Adam Deo of Digital Outlook, the app uses face mapping technology to put your head into the helmet of a Light Cycle. And since this seems to be a scene ripped straight from the movie, it looks like you'll be taking Sam Flynn's place in getting beat down by the digitized version of his father. (Come to think of it, this is an interesting sneak peek at what might go down between the two in the film.)

Tron Legacy App in actin
How it works is simple. All you need to do once inside the app is click on the "Start" button, which will then give you a list of options for how to upload an image of your face. You can rip your Facebook profile picture using Facebook Connect, but make sure it follows the app's guidelines or you'll end up looking like me (see above). You can also upload an image from your computer or take one right then and there with a web cam, which would probably be the best option to make for the coolest video to share. And that's the beauty of it, Tron fans everywhere will be able to say, "Look guys, I just got beat up by Jeff Bridges!" And that's an honor we can only dream of having in the real world. For the time being (and while we were hoping for a full-featured Facebook game), a nifty Facebook app will have to do.

Click here to "Get on the Grid" with Tron on Facebook Now>