Zynga loses yet another top executive

Newsbrief: Social game giant Zynga lost another major executive today, as chief creative officer Mike Verdu has stepped down to start his own game company. While he will no longer serve as part of Zynga's top management, Verdu will still have distinct ties to his former employer, as Zynga plans to become an investor and publisher for his new, unnamed studio, reports AllThingsD. While working at Zynga, Verdu helped guide the company's creative process, and his influence shaped major titles like Empires & Allies, FrontierVille, and CastleVille. Prior to joining Zynga in 2009, he served as the VP and general manager of EA Los Angeles. Verdu is just the latest in a string of major executives who have stepped down from Zynga. Earlier this month, the company said goodbye to former COO John Schappert, and just last week CityVille general manager Alan Patmore announced that he's moving over to Kixeye.