HSN Extends Leadership in Transactional Innovation With HSN Arcade™, a Casual Gaming and Digital Commerce Portal

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Multichannel retailer HSN has made an unprecedented move to combine casual gaming with the ecommerce experience. This new platform will allow people to play their favorite games online while simultaneously watching HSN streaming live in HD, viewing the item currently on-air and quickly shopping the last 15 items aired...all on one screen.  In addition, HSN Arcade™ will integrate with Facebook® to allow players to easily share their scores and achievements with their Facebook friends.   

HSN Arcade is an e-commerce channel that uses gamification by connecting unique products with gameplay, including the highly coveted "Today's Special."  Players can win prizes, including the Today's Special product or a gift card, by being the fastest to complete the daily "Today's Special Jigsaw Puzzle" and receiving the best score.  People will also be able to participate in tournaments with HSN's celebrity guests, hosts and other players for the opportunity to win other prizes, such as gift cards and products. Winners can be revealed in real time on TV, online and mobile.

"The launch of HSN Arcade is a strategic move to further differentiate the HSN shopping experience...by combining what people currently do online more than any other activities: shopping, gaming and sharing," said Jill Braff, EVP of Digital Commerce for HSN. "We are also excited to be using Facebook integration to allow players to post their achievements and their favorite HSN products seamlessly to their Facebook wall. Other sites have game arenas, but only HSN marries content and commerce in such an innovative way."

The combination of shopping, social and gaming taps into customer behavior.  According to Newzoo survey, currently more than 140 million people play casual games online, which represents 66% of the U.S. online population.  The addition of this platform to HSN's highly trafficked site and loyal customer base will extend HSN.com as an online destination.

HSN Arcade will host 25 games, including the exclusive Today's Special Jigsaw Puzzle and Lights! Camera! Subtraction! (featuring HSN's celebrities), as well as Crossword Puzzles, Word Search, Mahjongg, Sudoku, Treasure Hunt, Blackjack and more. The games will be free to play.  The experience will be further enhanced with the ability to share games, leaderboard rankings, badges and scores with friends using Facebook integration.  

HSN partnered with entertainment agency WME to help frame the gaming opportunity with external vendors and serve in a strategic role in evaluating proposals.  Arkadium, a leading provider of game solutions, was selected to develop HSN Arcade.  Additional games will be created and launched based on feedback and demand from people.  

About HSN:  Headquartered in St. Petersburg, FL, HSN is a leading interactive multichannel retailer, offering a curated assortment of exclusive products and top brand names to its customers. HSN incorporates entertainment, inspiration, personalities and industry experts to provide an entirely unique shopping experience. At HSN, customers find exceptional selections in Health & Beauty  (e.g.  M. Asam, Carol's Daughter, Coty, Elizabeth Arden,  Signature Club A, Andrew Lessman, Lancome, My Life Mary J. Blige, Benefit, Stila, Perlier, Serious Skin Care, Wei East, ybf Beauty); Jewelry (e.g. Heidi Daus, Iris Apfel, R.J. Graziano, Rarities: Fine Jewelry by Carol Brodie, Amedeo Scognamiglio, Tori Spelling); Home/Lifestyle  (e.g. Jeffrey Banks, Nate Berkus, Bissell, Colin Cowie, Dyson, Easy Exotic by Padma Lakshmi, Todd English, Emeril Lagasse, Happi Chic by Jonathan Adler, Joy Mangano, MoMA Design Store, Wolfgang Puck); Fashion/Accessories  (e.g. American Glamour Badgley Mischka, Joan Boyce, Curations with Stefani Greenfield, Libby Edelman, Sam Edelman, Chi by Carlos Falchi, Diane Gilman, IMAN Global Chic, "Timeless" by Naeem Khan, Twiggy LONDON, The Queen Collection by Queen Latifah, Sharif, Serena Williams Signature Statement); and Electronics  (e.g. Sony, Kodak, Acer, Olympus, GE, Panasonic).  

A leader in transactional innovation, HSN is the only retailer offering live streaming video in HD on three screens: TV, online and mobile.  HSN broadcasts live to 96 million households in the US in HD 24/7, and its website – hsn.com – is a top 10 e-commerce site, featuring more than 15,000 product videos.  Mobile applications include HSN apps for iPad, iPhone and Android.  HSN, founded 34 years ago as the first shopping network, is an operating segment of HSN, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSNI).

About Arkadium: Arkadium (www.arkadium.com) is the largest provider of game solutions for some of the biggest brands in the world.  The company's extensive library of popular games can be found on Facebook, iPhone, Android and premium websites by clients such as MSN, Hearst Magazines Digital Media, ESPN, ABC, Lifetime, and Discovery.  Family owned and operated, the company has grown organically since 2001 without funding, to more than 100 employees in offices in New York City and Ukraine.  With over nine million unique users a month playing Arkadium game titles, the company is pioneering the movement to bring the best of casual online games to social.  Their hit game, Mahjongg Dimensions, is one of their most popular titles.

Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.

SOURCE HSN