According to Business Insider, Zynga – the developer and publisher of FarmVille is issuing shares that result in the company having a total value of around $4 billion. Who could have predicted that a virtual farming game would be among the most profitable internet businesses?

Zynga has a lot of different Internet games through Facebook. Some of which includes FarmVille, Mafia Wars, FishVille, Treasure Isle, and Friends For Sale. Zynga makes money by charging players for “energy” while they play the otherwise free games. The energy gives them an advantage over the other players.

FarmVille has over 80 million players, and is using some interesting ways to make money (i.e. brand-sponsored crops). The company’s plan is to expand into the mobile world with things like the iPhone, iPad, and the Android.

Do you play FarmVille?