Zynga loses another executive

Zynga has lost another top executive. AllThingsD reports that chief creative officer Mike Verdu has left the social gaming giant after more than three years with the firm. At Zynga, Verdu oversaw a number of the company's studios in Los Angeles, Dallas, Baltimore, New York, Boston, and San Francisco.

Zynga is now without another top executive.

Verdu told the site that his departure from Zynga is unrelated to the tough times that have befallen the company of late.

"I personally don't want to add to the noise level," Verdu said. "I think this will be a good thing for me and for Zynga. I'm concerned about how this might be viewed with what else is going on, but it's not a function of anything else going on at the company."

Verdu's exit from Zynga is effective immediately. He is helming a new mobile-oriented company, and though he did not name this outfit, he said Zynga will invest it in and will serve as publisher of its games.

Verdu published a goodbye post on Zynga's website, in which he explained that the decision to leave the company was difficult, but ultimately the right move for him. He said he has seen the company grow from a "small, scrappy start-up" to a "world-class organization."

"Being at Zynga in the early days reminded me of how much I love being an entrepreneur," he said. "After a lot of soul-searching, I have decided to go back to my roots and start a new company."

Verdu's departure follows former Zynga COO John Schappert, who left "as a friend of the company" after a little over a year on the job. Zynga is facing not only a dipping share value, but also a lawsuit from Electronic Arts, which claims The Ville is a clone of The Sims Social.