According to Business Week (via Games.com), Microsoft may be looking to purchase CrowdStar, the maker of Happy Aquarium and Happy Pets, among others – also known as one of the largest names in the Facebook gaming scene today.
The Business Week article is placing CrowdStar’s value at somewhere around $200 million and even hints that a deal may be just weeks away from coming to fruition.
Meanwhile, Zynga, arguably the largest name in Facebook gaming applications, continues to make its own deals, having recently purchased Serious Business, the company responsible for the Facebook applications Friends for Sale and Rock Legends.
With Zynga seemingly looking to retain its independence, it makes sense for Microsoft to go after the next best thing. Only time will tell if these rumors are true, or if Microsoft really will be pulling the social gaming juggernaut under its wing.