PlayFirst Raises $16.5 Million in Series C Financing

DCM Joins Mayfield, Trinity and Rustic Canyon to Fund Leading Casual Games

Publisher

    SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- PlayFirst, Inc., a leading
 publisher of casual games, today announced that it has raised $16.5 million
 in its Series C financing round led by DCM. Existing investors, including
 Mayfield Fund, Trinity Ventures and Rustic Canyon Partners, also
 participated in the round. Previously, PlayFirst raised a total of $10
 million in its Series A and B rounds, bringing the current total of venture
 capital raised to $26.5 million.
 
     (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051004/SFTU029LOGO)
 
     "Since its founding in 2004, PlayFirst has been a driving force in the
 explosive casual games industry," said Peter Moran, general partner, DCM.
 "The company's initial success with microtransactions this year has
 demonstrated that PlayFirst is among the smartest, savviest and most
 visionary companies in casual games. With a number of immediate
 opportunities to expand on its new business model -- and their ability to
 create strong intellectual property like Diner Dash(R) -- PlayFirst is in
 position to continue its leadership role in this dynamic space."
 
     PlayFirst plans to use the funding to accelerate both web and game
 development and to satisfy the increasing and ever-evolving demand for
 high-quality casual game experiences. Based on the initial success from new
 business models and new brands including Chocolatier(R), Dream
 Chronicles(TM) and Wedding Dash(TM), PlayFirst will continue to expand and
 shape the casual games market.
 
     "PlayFirst has a history of breaking new ground and with our
 introduction of virtual goods into Diner Dash we continued that trend in
 2007," said John Welch, CEO and president, PlayFirst. "We are thrilled to
 have the backing of DCM and the continued support of our existing
 investment partners to help us grow the casual games industry into the
 mass-market, highly profitable business that industry insiders and analysts
 expect it will be."
 
     According to analyst firm DFC Intelligence, the casual games/online
 games market is expected to reach $2.2 billion by 2012. David Cole,
 analyst, DFC Intelligence, said, "Innovative companies willing to diversify
 platforms, create quality content, move beyond the $20 business model and
 introduce innovations like microtransactions to casual games will continue
 to drive this industry forward."
 
     For more information about PlayFirst please visit
 http://www.playfirst.com. For more information about the Diner Dash
 franchise please visit http://www.dinerdash.com.
 
     About PlayFirst, Inc.
 
     PlayFirst is a leading publisher focused on creating shared casual game
 experiences around lasting original brands. Committed to building casual
 game play rich in story and character, PlayFirst works with talented
 internal and external developers to bring mass market games to multiple
 platforms, including PC, Mac, mobile, handheld and console. The company's
 portfolio includes the world-renowned Diner Dash(R) franchise, as well as
 top-selling games such as Wedding Dash(TM), Chocolatier(R), and Dream
 Chronicles(TM). Founded in 2004, PlayFirst is funded by Mayfield Fund,
 Trinity Ventures, Rustic Canyon Partners and DCM. For more information
 visit www.playfirst.com and www.dinerdash.com.
 
     About DCM
 
     DCM is an early stage venture capital firm supporting entrepreneurs
 building world-class technology companies. The firm's partners manage
 US$1.6 billion and have funded leading technology companies including
 2Wire, 51job, @Motion (Openwave), About.com (The New York Times Co.), All
 About, Arroyo (Cisco), Clearwire, Dang Dang, eDreams (TA), Foundry
 Networks, HireRight, Internap, IPivot (Intel), JCI, Neopath Networks
 (Cisco), Neutral Tandem, nQuire (Siebel), PGP Corporation, Recourse
 Technologies (Symantec), Sigmatel, SMIC, Sling Media (EchoStar), Trion
 World Network, Inc., and Vimicro. DCM offers hands-on operational guidance
 and access to an extensive network of resources, including close
 relationships with many of the Pacific Rim's leading companies and
 investors. For more information, please visit DCM's website at
 http://www.dcm.com.
 
     PlayFirst, the PlayFirst logo, Diner Dash, Chocolatier, Dream
 Chronicles and Wedding Dash are trademarks of PlayFirst, Inc. PlayFirst,
 the PlayFirst logo, Diner Dash and Chocolatier are registered trademarks in
 the U.S.
 
 
 

SOURCE PlayFirst, Inc.