The newly founded game publisher PlayFirst has just opened up shop, offering this press release which unveils their entry into the burgeoning online game market. PlayFirst has received an initial investment of $5 million, from various investment firms. It appears that it may be a very wise investment, as PlayFirst has been founded by especially experienced industry veterans, giving the fledling publisher quite a bit of potential. John Welch, CEO and co-founder of PlayFirst, was previously a key player in the success of Shockwave.com, Macromedia’s online game portal. Brad Edelman, PlayFirst’s chief technlogy officer and another founder, also has a background with Macromedia, having worked on such technologies as Flash Player, Shockwave Player, and Breeze. Lastly, Jason Rubinstein, the vice president of marketing and business development, hails from the worldwide game publishing powerhouse, Ubisoft. With a lineup like that, PlayFirst is definitely off to a good start.

In an excerpt from the press release, John Welch reveals some of PlayFirst’s goals:

“The online game industry is still at its dawn,” said John Welch, PlayFirst’s co-founder and CEO. “Our management team is bringing a new model of publishing to what we see as an emerging market: popular games. With strong capital, expertise, technology and a focus on this market, PlayFirst plans to bring the best gameplay to all online consumer entertainment platforms - starting with internet downloads.”

Later, he adds, “we’re going beyond the hardcore gamer. We want to reach families, women, and new audiences with games that are easy to play and fun.”

This is a very interesting development for the realm of online game distribution. The introduction of online game publishers may provide some valuable opportunities for fledgling game developers, depending on how their development contracts are structured. At the same time, PlayFirst will hopefully help validate the legitimacy and power of this new distribution channel. I will be watching them closely in the coming months and, as always, keep everyone updated on any developments.