Playfish

Lore & Background

Playfish was founded in 2007 by Kristian Segerstråle, Sebastien de Halleux, Sami Lababidi, and Shukri Shammas. Its first release was Who has the Biggest Brain?, one of the first Facebook games to attract millions of daily players, which helped secure funding. In October 2008, the company secured US$17 million in venture capital from Accel Partners and Index Ventures. The company made money by selling virtual goods inside its games.

On 9 November 2009, Electronic Arts announced its acquisition of Playfish for $300 million in cash and equity, with up to $100 million in performance-based bonuses (total potential value $400 million). As of February 2013, all four founders had left the company; Lababidi and Shammas set up educational developer Mindshapes, and Segerstråle returned to startups. The last of Playfish's games were retired in 2013, with Pet Society retired on June 14, 2013, and The Sims Social and SimCity Social retired on June 17, 2013.

Reader's Guide

Playfish was a significant early player in the social network gaming boom, particularly on Facebook, where its games attracted tens of millions of monthly users. Its success demonstrated the viability of free-to-play games monetized through virtual goods, a model later widely adopted. The company's acquisition by Electronic Arts for $400 million in 2009 highlighted the value major publishers placed on social gaming. However, Playfish's closure in 2013, with all games retired, reflects the rapid shifts in the social gaming landscape and the challenges of sustaining user engagement. Notable titles like Restaurant City, Pet Society, and The Sims Social each had millions of active users and received industry recognition, such as Restaurant City's nomination for Social Networking Game of the Year at the 13th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. The company also introduced a uniform premium currency, Playfish Cash, later changed to individual game currencies. Playfish's legacy lies in its pioneering role in social gaming and its influence on the development of free-to-play browser-based games.

Did You Know?

• Playfish's first release, Who has the Biggest Brain?, was one of the first Facebook games to attract millions of daily players.
• The last three Playfish games retired were Pet Society (June 14, 2013), The Sims Social (June 17, 2013), and SimCity Social (June 17, 2013).