Playdom
Encyclopedia
Playdom is an online social network game
developer popular on Facebook
and on MySpace
; it is currently the largest social game developer on MySpace and one of the larger ones on Facebook. The company was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area
by University of California, Berkeley
graduates Ling Xiao and Chris Wang and Swarthmore College
graduate Dan Yue. In 2009 the market for games played on social networking sites was valued at $300 million, consisting mostly of online sales of virtual goods.
In May 2010, Playdom was recognized as one of the “2010 Hottest Silicon Valley Companies” by Lead411.
It is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company
as part of the Disney Interactive Media Group
.
On May 19, 2010 they acquired Acclaim Games
.
On June 7, 2010 Playdom announced the acquisition of gaming developer Hive7 after a $33 million funding round. This acquisition marks the fifth acquisition of the year.
On July 8, 2010, Playdom announced it acquired Metaplace, Inc.
. The pricing of the deal was not disclosed.
acquired Playdom in a $763 million deal. Disney will initially pay $563 million for Playdom, which is the No. 3 social game company with about 42 million monthly players. The deal also includes a further $200 million in additional payments if Playdom achieves growth thresholds.
Social network game
A social network game is a type of online game that is played through social networks, and typically features multiplayer and asynchronous gameplay mechanics. Social network games are most often implemented as browser games, but can also be implemented on other platforms such as mobile devices...
developer popular on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and on MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
; it is currently the largest social game developer on MySpace and one of the larger ones on Facebook. The company was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
by University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
graduates Ling Xiao and Chris Wang and Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
graduate Dan Yue. In 2009 the market for games played on social networking sites was valued at $300 million, consisting mostly of online sales of virtual goods.
In May 2010, Playdom was recognized as one of the “2010 Hottest Silicon Valley Companies” by Lead411.
It is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
as part of the Disney Interactive Media Group
Disney Interactive Media Group
The Disney Interactive Media Group , formerly known as the Walt Disney Internet Group and Disney Interactive Studios, oversees various websites and interactive media owned by The Walt Disney Company and its subsidiaries....
.
Acquisitions
On March 31, 2010 Playdom announced acquisition of Argentina-based online game developer Three Melons. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.On May 19, 2010 they acquired Acclaim Games
Acclaim Games
Acclaim Games, based in Beverly Hills, California, was a private online video game company that offered free Massively multiplayer online role-playing games on its website upon registration. The company was founded in 2006 and is the successor of Acclaim Entertainment in terms of brand name...
.
On June 7, 2010 Playdom announced the acquisition of gaming developer Hive7 after a $33 million funding round. This acquisition marks the fifth acquisition of the year.
On July 8, 2010, Playdom announced it acquired Metaplace, Inc.
Areae
Areae is an American computer technology corporation located in San Diego, California, that was established in July 2006 by Raph Koster. Areae has been officially changed to Metaplace, Inc. to avoid confusion...
. The pricing of the deal was not disclosed.
Acquired
On July 27, 2010, The Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
acquired Playdom in a $763 million deal. Disney will initially pay $563 million for Playdom, which is the No. 3 social game company with about 42 million monthly players. The deal also includes a further $200 million in additional payments if Playdom achieves growth thresholds.
Games
This is a list of Playdom's current games. Playdom has a total of over 27 million players as of July, 2011.- Social City – A casual strategy game in which the player develops a city. Social City won the 2010 Game Developers Choice Online AwardGame Developers ConferenceThe Game Developers Conference is the largest annual gathering of professional video game developers, focusing on learning, inspiration, and networking...
for Best Social Network Game. Inside Social Games rated Social City as the #2 Best Facebook Game of the first half of 2010. Social City also received an honorable mention on Gamasutra's list of the Top 5 Facebook Social Games in 2010.. GamezeboGamezeboGamezebo is a website that focuses on editorial coverage of the casual games industry, offering interviews, features, reviews, previews, strategy guides, news and podcasts....
rated Social City at 3.5 out of 5, highlighting balanced gameplay and "adorable" graphics. However, it was criticized for its lack of complexity: "Once you’ve mastered the game’s ecosystem of manufacturing/residential/leisure, all you’ll be doing is visiting your town to keep this balance in check and grow your city. Growing your city remains exciting throughout, but by the time you hit level 15 or so you just start wishing there was something more." Social City will be discontinued from 20 December 2011. - Bola – A social football management game developed by Three Melons. In May 2010, Bola achieved 2 million active users.
- Gardens of Time
- Mobsters: Myspace
- Mobsters 2: Vendetta
- Sorority Life
- Wild Ones
- City of Wonder
- WSOP
- ESPNU College Town
- NBA Dynasty
- ESPN Sports Bar & Grill
- Disney GnomeTown
- City of Might
Discontinued Games
- Market Street
- Mobsters: Facebook
- Verdonia
- Tiki Farm
- Tiki Resort
- Mobsters: Overdrive
- Bloodlines
- Big City Life
- (Lil) Farm Life
- Fanglies
- Pet Resort
- Fish Friends