Zynga opens Japan wing

Under-fire social games firm Zynga is making its first move into the Japanese market by opening a new studio in the region.

Zynga Japan is a joint venture between the San Francisco firm and Japanese telecommunications firm Softbank.

In June Zynga won $147 million investment from Softbank, according to unconfirmed reports suggesting the deal will fuel Zynga’s push into the mobile market.

"We’re excited to partner with Softbank to bring Zynga’s social games to Japan and gain insights from the Japanese market," said Zynga CEO Mark Pincus.

"As one of the most innovative technology companies in the world, Softbank is bringing the mobile internet to consumers making the social web more accessible to people everywhere."

Zynga is currently facing widespread criticisms for closing down its popular Facebook game Street Racing.