PlayFirst

PlayFirst, Inc. is a Delaware based publisher of casual games founded in 2004 by industry veterans. PlayFirst produced the ''Diner Dash'' series, which won the 2008 Annual Casual Game Awards. and has seen over 550 million downloads. The popularity of ''Diner Dash'' series prompted spin-off series like ''Wedding Dash'' and ''Cooking Dash''. The company’s game portfolio also includes the retro-style strategy-based ''Chocolatier'' series, and the adventure/hidden object-mixing ''Dream Chronicles'' series.

From 2005 to mid-2011, PlayFirst have released 72 casual games for PC and Mac, counting extra 7 Collector's Editions and Strategy Guides, thus they have 79 games in total in their game categories.

History

2004–2010: Early days, breakthrough, and maintaining the success of ''Dash'' series

PlayFirst’s biggest commercial success was its first game, '' Diner Dash'', which was released for the first time on PC/Mac platforms in late 2004. ''Diner Dash'' was initially developed by Gamelab, a New York-based casual game developer, under a multi-title publishing agreement with PlayFirst. The success of ''Diner Dash'' with game critics and gamers prompted PlayFirst to release four sequels in the following years: ''Restaurant Rescue'' (2006), ''Flo on the Go'' (2006), ''Hometown Hero'' (2007), and the fifth ''BOOM!'' in 2010.

PlayFirst has also published ''Diner Dash'' across multiple platforms, including PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Facebook and consoles DS, Xbox, and Wii. PlayFirst games are available on more than 500 sites in 20 languages.

Spin-off series and games ''Wedding Dash'' (2007), ''Cooking Dash'' (2008), and ''Hotel Dash'' (2009) were released. However, they mostly earned lukewarm receptions from game critics and gamers.

Other non-''Dash'' PlayFirst games includes the three-part, retro-style strategy-based ''Chocolatier'' series, which was released during 2007 and 2009 in collaboration with Big Splash Games. The five-part, adventure/hidden object-mixing ''Dream Chronicles'' series was another highlight in PlayFirst's portfolio. ''Dream Chronicles'' was released during 2007 and 2011 in collaboration with KatGames.

2010–2015: Cancellation of releasing on PC/Mac and new direction

In October 2010, PlayFirst announced a focus on the mobile and social market after raising $9.2 million from investors, and cancelled releasing further casual games in the near future. PlayFirst's forays into the social gaming market have proven unsuccessful, as low user counts forced the company to cancel all of its Facebook games, ''Diner Dash'' and ''Chocolatier'', not long after launching them.

As of late 2010, the company employed more than 100 workers, but laid off an unspecified number of its employees in early December 2011 due to "restructuring". Other social games veterans who joined the company in late 2010 from Playdom and Zynga have also left; however, PlayFirst claims the layoffs will not change its emphasis on the mobile market.

On October 8, 2012, PlayFirst emailed its subscribers informing them that the company will cease the production of PC and Mac games and move to a new website since November 12, 2012. The email read, "We have established a firm position as one of the leading producers for iOS mobile applications and are currently working on implementing our games into the Android marketplace," and that current games in its catalogue will still be available for purchase on the third party websites like Big Fish Games and GameHouse.

On September 3, 2014, PlayFirst was acquired by Glu Mobile. The official statement from Glu Mobile CEO, Niccolo de Masi, read "We are pleased to officially add PlayFirst to the Glu family and look forward to delivering new DASH products to a worldwide audience,"

Published and/or co-developed on PC/Mac platforms

2011

* '' Hotel Dash 2: Lost Luxuries''
* '' Dream Chronicles: The Book of Water'' (+ ''Collector's Edition'' & ''Strategy Guide'')
* ''Garden Dash''
* '' Murder Island: Secret of Tantalus''
* '' Dream Chronicles: The Book of Fire'' (''CANCELLED'')

2010

* '' Tamara the 13th''
* '' Soap Opera Dash''
* '' Avenue Flo: Special Delivery''
* '' Cooking Dash 3: Thrills and Spills'' (+ ''Collector's Edition'')
* '' Escape from Frankenstein's Castle''
* '' Wedding Dash: 4-Ever''
* '' The Fifth Gate''
* '' Dream Chronicles: The Book of Air'' (+ ''Collector's Edition'' & ''Strategy Guide'')
* '' Love and Death: Bitten''
* '' The Palace Builder''
* '' Diner Dash 5: BOOM!'' (+ ''Collector's Edition'' & ''Strategy Guide'')
* '' Alice's Tea Cup Madness''

2009

* '' Gotcha: Celebrity Secrets''
* '' Hotel Dash: Suite Success''
* '' Valerie Porter and the Scarlet Scandal''
* '' Avenue Flo''
* '' Gemini Lost''
* '' Cooking Dash: DinerTown Studios''
* '' Passport to Perfume''
* '' DinerTown Detective Agency''
* '' Wedding Dash: Ready, Aim, Love!''
* '' DinerTown Tycoon''
* '' Dream Chronicles: The Chosen Child''
* '' Wandering Willows''
* '' Diaper Dash''
* '' Emerald City Confidential''
* '' Chocolatier: Decadence by Design''

2008

* '' Nightshift Legacy: The Jaguar's Eye''
* '' Fitness Dash''
* '' Daycare Nightmare: Mini-Monsters''
* '' Parking Dash''
* '' Cooking Dash''
* '' The Great Chocolate Chase: A Chocolatier Twist''
* '' Fashion Dash''
* '' Wedding Dash 2: Rings Around the World''
* '' Dairy Dash''
* '' Pet Shop Hop''
* '' Dream Chronicles 2: The Eternal Maze''
* '' Doggie Dash''

2007

* '' The Nightshift Code''
* '' Dress Shop Hop''
* '' Chocolatier 2: Secret Ingredients''
* '' Diner Dash: Hometown Hero''
* '' Diner Dash: Flo Through Time''
* '' Diner Dash: Seasonal Snack Pack''
* '' Mahjong Roadshow''
* '' Daycare Nightmare''
* ''Wedding Dash''
* '' SpongeBob Diner Dash: 2 Times the Trouble''
* '' Dream Chronicles''
* '' Zenerchi''
* ''Chocolatier''
* '' Mystery of Shark Island''

2006

* '' Diner Dash: Flo on the Go''
* '' SandScripts''
* '' Sweetopia''
* '' SpongeBob Diner Dash''
* ''Poker Pop''
* '' Diner Dash 2: Restaurant Rescue''
* ''Plantasia''
* '' Pirate Poppers''
* '' Egg vs. Chicken''
* '' Tasty Planet''

2005

* '' Professor Fizzwizzle''
* '' TriJinx''
* '' Chessmaster Challenge''
* '' Diner Dash''
* '' Subway Scramble''
* '' Spellagories''

Published and/or co-developed on iOS platforms

* '' Chocolatier: Decadence by Design''
* '' Cloudy with a Chance of a Meatballs 2: Foodimal Frenzy'' (no longer available on App Store)
* '' Cooking Dash''
* '' Cooking Dash: Thrills and Spills''
* '' Diner Dash''
* '' Diner Dash: Grilling Green''
* '' DinerTown Pets''
* '' DinerTown Zoo''
* '' Dream Chronicles''
* '' Dream Chronicles: The Book of Air''
* '' Dream Chronicles: The Book of Water''
* '' Egg vs. Chicken'' (no longer available on App Store)
* '' Hotel Dash / Hotel Dash Deluxe''
* '' Hotel Dash 2: Lost Luxuries''
* '' Hotel Transylvania Dash'' (no longer available on App Store)
* '' Love & Death: Bitten''
* '' Parking Dash''
* '' Soap Opera Dash''
* ''Wedding Dash''
* '' Wedding Dash 4-Ever''

Playground SDK

Playground SDK is PlayFirst's game engine. It is discontinued.

References

External links

Official Website

PlayFirst company profile
from MobyGames
{{Dash series

Browser-based game websites
Video game companies established in 2004
Video game companies of the United States
Video game publishers
Electronic Arts