PLAYFIRST PARTNERS WITH HUDSON ENTERTAINMENT TO BRING DINER DASH® TO DIGITAL DOWNLOAD SERVICES
SAN FRANCISCO - July 26, 2007 - Leading casual games publisher, PlayFirst, Inc., today announced a partnership with Hudson Entertainment, the North American publishing arm of Hudson Soft, to bring several popular PlayFirst titles, beginning with the smash hit, Diner Dash®, to digital download services for console systems in 2008. Additional titles included in the deal are Mystery of Shark Island, Sandscript, Zenerchi, the award-winning Oasis and PlayFirst's new hit game, Chocolatier.
"Our strategy has always included a keenly anticipated entry into the console space. As a leading publisher, our commitment to developers is to take their titles to casual gamers wherever they play," said Rich Roberts, Vice President of Business Development, PlayFirst. "To expand into this market we wanted to partner with an established publisher and Hudson's expertise in development for digital download services made them our first choice."
"PlayFirst is a leader in the casual games space and shares Hudson's goal of delivering top quality entertainment to a broad audience of players," said John Greiner, President and CEO of Hudson Entertainment. "Top casual games such as Diner Dash that have a wide appeal are driving a new era in console gaming. PlayFirst's portfolio combines the best in casual games with loveable characters, immersive storylines and incredibly fun gameplay - making them well suited for the fast-growing and increasingly mass market audience of digital download service users."
Diner Dash has been a No. 1 hit across major online game portals, mobile and retail, as well as a popular handheld title since its downloadable debut on PC and Mac in late 2004. The original game, developed by the award-winning independent studio Gamelab, is now a multi-million dollar franchise spanning three full-length casual games with a new sequel and an additional brand extension game currently in the works.
For more information or to download free trials of PlayFirst games please visit www.playfirst.com. For more information about Hudson Entertainment, please visit www.hudsonentertainment.com.
About Hudson Entertainment, Inc.
Hudson Entertainment is the North American publishing arm of Hudson Soft, an international provider of games and entertainment content founded in 1973. Hudson introduced best-selling classic videogame franchises including Bomberman, Bonk, and Super Adventure Island. Hudson Entertainment focuses on three key businesses: Console Games, Mobile Games, and Music. Since 2000, Hudson's mobile division has been a leading supplier of games and personalized content. Through their partnership with The Source, Hudson is a leading provider of hip-hop ring tones and mobile content.
About PlayFirst, Inc.
PlayFirst is a leading publisher of highly-original games made for casual gamers wherever they play. Committed to fostering creativity, PlayFirst works with talented internal and external developers to bring innovative games to multiple platforms, including PC, Mac, mobile and handheld. PlayFirst's portfolio of games includes the top-selling hit Diner Dash®, which has more than 200 million plays worldwide. Founded in 2004, PlayFirst is funded by Mayfield Fund, Trinity Ventures and Rustic Canyon Partners. For more information visit www.playfirst.com.
PlayFirst, the PlayFirst logo, Diner Dash, Mystery of Shark Island, Sandscript, Xenerchi, Oasis and Chocolatier, are trademarks of PlayFirst, Inc. PlayFirst, the PlayFirst logo, and Diner Dash are registered trademarks in the U.S. Hudson Entertainment, Hudson Soft and their respective logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Hudson Soft. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Press Contacts:
Chris Cook
Kohnke Communications for Hudson Entertainment, Inc.
415-777-4000
cook@kohnkecomm.com
Katie Neuman
Bite Communications for PlayFirst, Inc.
(415) 365-0470
katie.neuman@bitepr.com
Kirem Marnett
PlayFirst, Inc.
(415) 874-2665
kirem@playfirst.com