SAN FRANCISCO, July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- PlayFirst, a leading publisher
of casual games, today announced that Beatshapers, an independent game
developer based in Russia, is the first winner of a Developer Dash award.
Launched at the Game Developers Conference 2007, Developer Dash is
PlayFirst's new $100,000 program that recognizes innovation and creativity
in casual games by rewarding game developers with cash prizes.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051004/SFTU029LOGO)
"As a top publisher in casual games, we're always looking for
independent developers to stimulate the category with fresh ideas," said
Craig Bocks, director of publishing, PlayFirst. "When we reviewed
Beatshaper's prototype, we immediately recognized its new and innovative
game mechanic. We were also impressed with how quickly the Beatshapers team
was able to develop and turn in their Developer Dash submission -- it was
just three weeks between their Playground SDK(TM) download and the
completed prototype."
"It's an honor to have been selected as the recipient of the first
Developer Dash award. We plan to use the money to fund the full development
of our winning prototype -- something we couldn't have done before winning
the award," said Alexy Menshikov, CEO, Beatshapers. "It's great to see a
top publisher like PlayFirst supporting independent developers through its
Developer Dash program. It demonstrates their strong commitment to
innovation and fostering the category's growth."
Developers: Earn Cash with Developer Dash
While the casual games industry continues to grow at an explosive rate,
many independent developers face numerous challenges getting their games
off the ground and noticed. In response to these challenges, PlayFirst
launched Developer Dash, a developer funding program that will distribute
up to $100,000 in cash this year to encourage and help support independent
developers create new and innovative games.
There is no requirement for developers to publish or distribute their
game with PlayFirst to participate in the program. To be eligible,
developers must simply download PlayFirst's popular casual game development
framework, Playground SDK, and submit a game prototype that meets the
following criteria:
-- Built in Playground SDK*
-- Commercially viable casual game (i.e., no offensive themes, gratuitous
violence)
-- Submitted to PlayFirst in 2007
Meet with PlayFirst at Casual Connect Seattle!
PlayFirst producers are looking to meet with talented developers at the
Casual Connect Seattle conference July 17-19, 2007. To schedule a meeting
please contact PlayFirst at pf_extprod@playfirst.com or stop by the
PlayFirst booth on the second floor balcony in Benaroya Hall. The deadline
for the next Developer Dash prototype review is August 15, 2007.
For more information about Playground SDK or to submit your game to the
Developer Dash program, please visit http://developer.playfirst.com.
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(R), 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 http://www.playfirst.com.
PlayFirst, the PlayFirst logo, Playground SDK and Diner Dash are
trademarks of PlayFirst, Inc. PlayFirst, the PlayFirst logo, and Diner Dash
are registered trademarks in the U.S. and other countries. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
* Playground SDK is subject to license agreement which contains
restrictions on use; use outside of the United States is subject to
compliance with applicable export control laws.
Developer Dash: PlayFirst may modify or cancel the program at its sole
discretion at any time. PlayFirst is not obligated to award any of the
$100,000; amount awarded depends on number and quality of prototypes
submitted. Details and requirements at developer.playfirst.com.
SOURCE PlayFirst, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.playfirst.com
Photo Notes:http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051004/SFTU029LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Lindsay Stevens of Bite Communications,
+1-415-365-0459, lindsay.stevens@bitepr.com, for PlayFirst, Inc.;
or Kirem Marnett of PlayFirst, Inc., +1-415-874-2665,
kirem@playfirst.com
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