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Diner Dash dev PlayFirst hit with layoffs after social games fail
PlayFirst, developer of mobile and social games like Diner Dash and Chocolatier, is going through a period of "restructuring." According to Gamasutra, this includes an unspecified number of layoffs at the studio, which had over 100 employees. The company's stated focus on the saturated social games market has not been successful. PlayFirst shut down all its Facebook efforts, including the social adaptation of its previously successful Diner Dash franchise. Gamasutra also reports that other social games veterans who joined PlayFirst have since left for Playdom or Zynga. The bad times haven't deterred PlayFirst. A representative for the company stated, "Our future plans are to continue to focus on the mobile casual gaming space."
Zoo Publishing announces four new DS titles
Zoo Publishing has revealed it will release four new Nintendo DS titles developed by PlayFirst, based on properties acquired from Empire Interactive earlier this month. Casual titles Diner Dash: Flo on the Go, Wedding Dash, Chocolatier, and Dream Chronicles are all scheduled to hit stores this holiday season. Of the four, the most recognizable to gamers would be Diner Dash. In the latest edition, Flo (No, not that Flo) has decided to take a vacation; however, her undying work ethic has driven her to wait tables in five new tropical restaurants. Excuse us, Flo! You work too hard.
Oasis, Diner Dash coming to XBLA?
According to GamingTalkHQ, PlayFirst has announced a partnership with Hudson in which it will make some of its popular games available on "digital download services for console systems" starting next year. The first game planned in the deal is the very popular Diner Dash. Other games featured in the deal include Sandscript, Zenerchi, Mystery of Shark Island, Oasis, and Chocolatier. We can attest to the addictive nature of PlayFirst's games, as we've just wasted the last hour playing Oasis while "researching" this post. While Xbox Live Arcade is not specifically mentioned, it's a safe bet that we'll see these titles there next year. After all, we imagine that Bomberman Live is already giving Hudson a nice return.
