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§ Private Profile · Palo Alto, CA, USA
Playdom is a company.
Playdom has raised $76.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at Playdom.
Playdom has raised $76.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Playdom develops and distributes interactive social games for online networking platforms. The company creates engaging experiences integrated within social media, enabling users to connect and play. Its approach emphasizes accessible, browser-based entertainment, utilizing social graphs for viral distribution and community building.
Co-founded in 2008 by Dan Yue, Chris Wang, and Ling Xiao, Playdom emerged from an insight into the rapidly expanding social media landscape. They recognized significant potential for games on platforms like Facebook and MySpace, aiming to foster communities through shared digital play. This understanding shaped the company's initial strategy.
Playdom serves a broad user base on major social networking sites, providing casual multiplayer gaming. The company envisions itself as a leading provider of social gaming, delivering engaging titles that encourage social interaction and sustained participation. It aims to shape online entertainment through innovative social mechanics.
Key people at Playdom.
Playdom was a pioneering social gaming company that developed free-to-play casual games for platforms like Facebook and MySpace, generating revenue through advertising and virtual goods sales. It served millions of daily users with hit titles such as *Social City*, *Sorority Life*, *Gardens of Time*, and *City of Wonder*, peaking at over 42 million monthly active users and ranking as the No. 3 social game company before its acquisition.[1][2][3][5] The company solved the challenge of creating engaging, viral games optimized for social networks, capitalizing on the early social media boom to achieve rapid growth and attract investments from firms like Lightspeed Venture Partners (Series A in 2009).[1]
Playdom originated as YouPlus in mid-2008, founded by Dan Yue (also listed as Daniel Yue), Rick Thompson, and former Google engineers Chris Wang and Ling Xiao (also listed as Link Xiao) in the San Francisco Bay Area, specifically Mountain View, California.[3][4] The idea emerged amid the rise of social networks, pivoting quickly to social games which drove explosive traction—reaching top spots on MySpace and expanding to Facebook and iPhone.[2][3] Key early moments included launching hits like *Sorority Life* in 2008 and scaling to acquire Merscom LLC in April 2010, just before Disney's $563 million acquisition on July 28, 2010.[1][2][3][5]
Playdom stood out in the crowded social gaming space through:
Playdom rode the 2008-2010 social gaming wave, fueled by Facebook's explosive growth and the shift from standalone Flash games to socially integrated experiences, timing perfectly with viral mechanics before mobile dominance.[1][2][3] Market forces like free platforms and virtual economies favored it, influencing the ecosystem by proving social games' monetization potential—paving the way for Zynga and others, while its Disney acquisition integrated gaming into media giants' strategies.[5] It highlighted early VC bets on consumer internet (e.g., Lightspeed's involvement), accelerating investments in social entertainment.[1]
Post-2010 acquisition, Playdom operated as Disney's social games division, producing titles like *Star Wars: Commander* and *Marvel: Avengers Alliance* into 2014, but faded as Facebook games waned and mobile esports rose.[3] Trends like Web3 gaming, AI-driven content, and metaverse platforms could revive similar models, though Disney's focus has shifted to integrated franchises (e.g., via Epic Games). Its legacy endures in social monetization tactics still shaping studios today—Playdom exemplified how timely execution turns social trends into billion-dollar exits.[1][3][5]
Playdom has raised $76.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $33.0M Series A in June 2010.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2010 | $33M Series A | — | Bessemer Venture Partners, Costanoa Ventures, ForgePoint Capital, Foundry Group, Pritzker Group, Social Capital, NEW World Ventures, Steamboat Ventures | Announced |
| Nov 1, 2009 | $43M Series A | — | Lightspeed Venture Partners, NEW Enterprise Associates, Signia Venture Partners, Voyager Capital, Rick Thompson, Norwest Venture Partners | Announced |
Playdom has raised $76.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Playdom's investors include Bessemer Venture Partners, Costanoa Ventures, Forgepoint Capital, Foundry Group, Pritzker Group, Social Capital, New World Ventures, Steamboat Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Signia Venture Partners, Voyager Capital.
