Management turns over at casual game publisher PlayFirst
PlayFirst, one of the leaders in casual game publishing, announced today that it has appointed a new chief executive and chief financial officer.
Mari Baker has joined as CEO, replacing founder John Welch, who is moving on to other opportunities. The San Francisco company has also appointed Jim Wandrey as chief financial officer.
Baker has more than 20 years of experience in consumer technology. She was previously chief executive of Navigenics, president of BabyCenter, and senior vice… Continue Reading
Q&A with PlayFirst’s John Welch on making game consoles obsolete and making gamers out of everyone
PlayFirst co-found and CEO John Welch has done what many have tried, and few have succeeded. He’s managed to launch a company built around casual gaming and actually build established brands. And while Cooking Dash might not be as instantly recognizable as Mario just yet, the company has just started cookin’.
We sat down to talk to Welch, who co-founded the company in 2004, at the New York Game Conference.
VB: Where do you see the state… Continue Reading
PlayFirst, popular online gaming company, raises $16.5mm
PlayFirst, the publisher of the popular online game, Diner Dash, has raised an eye-opening $16.5 million in its third round of financing.
The company stands out because it’s one of the first mainstream American online game publishers to embed micro-transactions, small payments for access to new game content, into its game. The marquee title, Diner Dash: Hometown Hero involves controlling a waitress who runs around a restaurant trying to keep her customers happy. PlayFirst offers one… Continue Reading
PlayFirst brings microtransactions to popular casual game
Tired of paying cash up front in order to play the most popular casual games?
Now, game publisher, PlayFirst, lets you make “micropayments” to progress through a game.
In the San Francisco company’s latest game, Diner Dash: Hometown Hero (which is the fourth in the Diner Dash series), you create an avatar, customize it to your liking, and act as a waitress and host, making customers happy in restaurant settings that get increasingly hectic to manage. This… Continue Reading