HSN and PlayFirst Team Up to Deliver Unique Gaming, Shopping and Cooking Experience Within Cooking Dash App on iPhone and iPod touch

Renowned-Chef Emeril Lagasse Featured in New HSN Venue in Cooking Dash

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Nov 02, 2011, 09:00 ET

SAN FRANCISCO and ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Nov. 2, 2011 PRNewswire -- PlayFirst® Inc., a leading mobile social game publisher, and HSN, a leading interactive multichannel retailer, today announced an update to the popular Cooking Dash App for iPhone and iPod touch that adds a unique new restaurant venue called "HSN Cooks with Emeril," featuring HSN host and chef Emeril Lagasse cooking and serving some of his favorite dishes.

The new venue showcases an Emeril Lagasse avatar and allows players to interact with virtual representations from Emeril's top-selling Emerilware cookware and kitchen electrics line. Players can also instantly choose to purchase those very same Emerilware products directly from HSN's e-commerce site, without leaving the app.

"Cooking is so popular today because it's the perfect mix of food and fun," said Emeril Lagasse. "I'm excited to partner with HSN to set up shop on Cooking Dash so viewers can cook along with me in the studio and try their hand at running their own restaurant. If you love cooking then you'll absolutely love this new feature."

"This integration of game play, celebrity and shopping is a great new concept that we are excited to bring to our Cooking Dash users," said Mari Baker, president and CEO of PlayFirst. "Players will enjoy interacting with Emeril in the game and joining him chopping, slicing and dicing with the same piece of cookware that they can later buy for themselves."

When players enter Cooking Dash they immediately see the new "HSN Cooks with Emeril" venue. They can then enter the restaurant and begin to play. During gameplay, they will have access to a variety of Emeril products including a blender, mixer, deep fryer and chef's knife. As players progress through the game, traditional Cooking Dash characters such as Flo are joined by virtual Emeril and together they cook and serve various recipes for the restaurant's diners. Emeril's products are then available in the DashMart™, PlayFirst's virtual store, as either virtual items or as an actual online order for delivery directly to your home.

"HSN recognizes that gaming, shopping and sharing are three of the most popular activities across mobile and digital platforms," said Jill Braff, executive vice-president of digital commerce for HSN." Mobile continues to be HSN's fastest growing channel and this partnership with PlayFirst and Emeril helps us bring together content and commerce in a fun and innovative way."

The Cooking Dash App, with the new "HSN Cooks with Emeril" restaurant venue, is available for $2.99 from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/AppStore.

About HSN:

Headquartered in St. Petersburg, FL, HSN is a leading interactive multichannel retailer, offering a curated assortment of exclusive products and top brand names to its customers. HSN incorporates entertainment, inspiration, personalities and industry experts to provide an entirely unique shopping experience. At HSN, customers find exceptional selections in Health & Beauty (e.g. M. Asam, Carol's Daughter, Coty, Elizabeth Arden, Signature Club A, Andrew Lessman, Lancome, My Life Mary J. Blige, Benefit, Stila, Perlier, Serious Skin Care, Wei East, ybf Beauty); Jewelry (e.g. Heidi Daus, Iris Apfel, R.J. Graziano, Rarities: Fine Jewelry by Carol Brodie, Amedeo Scognamiglio, Tori Spelling); Home/Lifestyle (e.g. Jeffrey Banks, Nate Berkus, Bissell, Colin Cowie, Dyson, Easy Exotic by Padma Lakshmi, Todd English, Emeril Lagasse, Happi Chic by Jonathan Adler, Joy Mangano, MoMA Design Store, Wolfgang Puck); Fashion/Accessories (e.g. American Glamour Badgley Mischka, Joan Boyce, Curations with Stefani Greenfield, Libby Edelman, Sam Edelman, Chi by Carlos Falchi, Diane Gilman, IMAN Global Chic, "Timeless" by Naeem Khan, Twiggy LONDON, The Queen Collection by Queen Latifah, Sharif, Serena Williams Signature Statement); and Electronics (e.g. Sony, Kodak, Acer, Olympus, GE, Panasonic).

A leader in transactional innovation, HSN is the only retailer offering live streaming video in HD on three screens: TV, online and mobile. HSN broadcasts live to 96 million households in the US in HD 24/7, and its website – hsn.com – is a top 10 e-commerce site, featuring more than 15,000 product videos. Mobile applications include HSN apps for iPad, iPhone and Android. HSN, founded 34 years ago as the first shopping network, is an operating segment of HSN, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSNI).

About PlayFirst

PlayFirst, a leading publisher of mobile casual games, is committed to providing compelling experiences that always delight customers. Best known for its action-packed, time-management megahit Diner Dash, over 550 million people worldwide have downloaded a Dash® game. The company's game portfolio includes world-renowned titles, such as Diner Dash®, Wedding Dash®, Cooking Dash®, DinerTown Zoo®, Chocolatier®, and Dream Chronicles®. For more information, visit www.playfirst.com.

About Emeril Lagasse:

Chef Emeril Lagasse is the chef/proprietor of 12 award-winning restaurants in New Orleans, Las Vegas, Orlando and Bethlehem, PA. He is a national TV personality, who has hosted over 2000 shows on the Food Network, and is the food correspondent for ABC's Good Morning America, in addition to his shows The Originals with Emeril and Emeril Live airing on the Cooking Channel. He is also the host of Emeril's Table, a new original cooking series airing weekdays at 11am ET on Hallmark Channel. Emeril is the best-selling author of 15 cookbooks and his latest, Sizzling Skillets and other One-Pot Wonders, which hit booksellers in September. Emeril Lagasse joined the Martha Stewart family of brands in 2008; Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (NYSE: MSO) acquired the assets related to Emeril's media and merchandising business, including television programming, cookbooks, and emerils.com website and his licensed kitchen and food products. In September 2002, Emeril established the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to support and encourage culinary arts and education programs for children. As of 2011, Emeril Lagasse Foundation has given over $4 million to children's causes in New Orleans and on the Gulf Coast.

Notes: PlayFirst, Diner Dash, Flo, DinerTown, Wedding Dash, Cooking Dash, DinerTown Zoo, Egg vs. Chicken, Chocolatier and Dream Chronicles are registered trademarks of PlayFirst, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

SOURCE HSN