Zynga Snatches Key Digital Executive From EA

No sooner had EA popped the champagne cork to celebrate its $1 billion revenue milestone in the digital market, than its casual gaming rival makes a play to kick it square in the balls. A key executive responsible for the EA's digital success has been snatched by FarmVille creator Zynga.

Bloomberg reports that Barry Cottle had been "overseeing Electronic Arts' push into mobile and online gaming for the past four years," and Zynga is hoping to use his talents to enable its push away from Facebook. Cottle has been appointed as Zynga's executive vice president of business and corporate development.

The move follows the departure of former EA COO John Schappert to pick up the same position at Zynga last year. It certainly highlights the increasing tension between the two companies as they both try to capture the massmarket with digital products.

Cottle's departure might also go some way to explaining EA's decision to dissolve its digital team and integrate such work into its game studios.