PlayFirst Unites Women, Chocolate, and Facebook Gaming with Chocolatier: Sweet Society
Popular Chocolate Shoppe Management Game’s Arrival on Social Networking Platform Coincides with ‘Perfect Storm’ of Audience Size, Interest, and Love of Chocolate
SAN FRANCISCO – July 19, 2010 – PlayFirst® Inc., a leading publisher of emotionally engaging interactive entertainment, today announces the launch of its first major foray into social gaming with Chocolatier®: Sweet Society on Facebook. The launch coincides with the release of a survey PlayFirst sponsored with Frank N. Magid Associates titled “Magid Media Futures 2010 Social Media and Consumers” that corroborates the very favorable timing for bringing one of PlayFirst’s premier franchises to Facebook. Thirty-eight percent of all regular social network users 18 years and older regularly play social network games, and 58% of these players are women, matching the Chocolatier franchise’s audience perfectly.
Chocolatier was originally released in 2007 for the Windows and Macintosh operating systems, and introduced players to the fictional world of the Baumeister family. Chocolatier: Sweet Society is set in 1882, the same timeframe as the original game, bringing a unique art style to the Facebook platform.
Designed to create an authentic Facebook experience, Chocolatier: Sweet Society brings three major innovations to the heralded franchise: dual destination gameplay with both a shoppe and a factory to manage, “lickable art” that provides a sumptuous display of mouthwatering chocolates, and social elements that bring players together. Players go behind the scenes as factory machines, aided by a compelling mini-game, create an assortment of delectable confections, unlocking the Baumeister’s secret family recipes from Dark Chocolate Ginger Infusions to Cacao Lime Balls. Then, players decorate and manage their shoppe for the ultimate opulent chocolate experience. With the help of friends, everyone can taste their way to a grand chocolate empire.
“Our goal with Chocolatier: Sweet Society was to take a franchise millions of players love and bring it to Facebook in a way that is authentic and compelling to both the brand and the social platform,” said Mari Baker, CEO of PlayFirst. “In limited release, we’ve already reached over a quarter million players and we’re confident this game will please the sweet tooth of Facebook gamers everywhere.”
“The chocolate theme of Chocolatier: Sweet Society should resonate well with consumers,” says Mike Vorhaus, President, Magid Advisors. “Seven in 10 social gamers responded in our survey that the ‘theme’ of a game is a deciding factor when choosing a game and since chocolate is far and away America’s favorite flavor, this bodes well for Chocolatier: Sweet Society as it lets players enjoy all the chocolate they want with no calories.”
Baker will introduce Chocolatier: Sweet Society in her speech “The Business of Building Enduring Brands” at Casual Connect in Seattle on July 21st. In her talk, after which she will be available for interviews, she will also unveil new and pertinent market research to show how transitions in the game industry drive brand development from a business perspective.
To play Chocolatier: Sweet Society, please visit http://apps.facebook.com/chocolatier/.
About PlayFirst
PlayFirst, a leading publisher of emotionally engaging interactive entertainment, is committed to providing compelling experiences that always delight customers. By creating engaging story worlds that capture the imagination, PlayFirst teams publish quality gaming experiences across popular platforms worldwide including PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Facebook, and consoles. The company’s game portfolio includes world-renowned titles, such as Diner Dash®, Wedding Dash®, Cooking Dash®, Chocolatier®, and Dream Chronicles®. PlayFirst games are available in major retailers and on more than 500 sites in 20 languages. For more information, visit www.playfirst.com.
