1st Playable Productions announced today that it has gained B Corporation (B Corp) certification, an emerging standard for measuring social impact that Inc. Magazine has called ‘the highest standard for socially responsible businesses.’ 1st Playable is the first video game developer in the United States to gain B Corp certification, and the first company in NY’s Tech Valley.

1st Playable has long promoted social impact as part of the triple bottom line, combining both business profitability with community sustainability. “One challenge of pursuing the social impact aspect of our mission is that, unlike profit, it can be hard to measure,” said 1st Playable CEO, Tobi Saulnier. “We were delighted to find a rigorous standard that we can use to hold ourselves accountable for what can otherwise come across as a collection of ideals instead of a way of doing business,” said Tobi. “The B Corp community of organizations share similar goals and establish high standards that we can use to evaluate and improve our performance, just as we do for the rest of our business.”

B Corporations status was created on the premise that a successful business creates prosperity for all stakeholders,” said Jay Coen Gilbert, co-founder of B Lab, the nonprofit that certifies B Corps. “Meeting the rigorous standards to become a Certified B Corp demonstrates that 1st Playable cares about more than nice beliefs, it cares about verified and transparent performance.”

1st Playable has met additional transparency requirements to earn its B Corp certification, making its full B Impact Assessment visible to the public at www.bcorporation.net/community/1st-playable-productions. Highlights of 1st Playable B Impact Report include: its annual Games in Education community service event, development of games for education, and having team diversity reflective of the community.

“We are pleased to join the community of Certified B Corps because responsible business is what the world needs and, increasingly, what employees want, so it’s just good business,” said 1st Playable CEO, Tobi Saulnier. The company’s success in the fast paced world of video games has proven that having more than a single bottom line focus can be a successful and rewarding business model to follow. “There is a tremendous upside to being linked more closely to other companies with a similar philosophy,” added Saulnier. The developer is looking forward to learning and sharing best practices with other regional B Corps in NY’s Capital Region.

About 1st Playable
1st Playable Productions, LLC is an independent game development studio with a focus on handheld games for kids, a licensed developer for Nintendo 3DS™, iPhone™, and Nintendo Wii U™, as well as other embedded game platforms. The studio is known for innovative gameplay, including networked features, downloadable content, and integration of real and virtual worlds, and has created games such as Ben 10 and The Hidden on Nintendo 3DS, Shatoetry , and Where’s My Summer on mobile, and numerous LeapFrog games including Hello Kitty: Sweet Little Shops. The studio also creates games for education research, such as Possible Worlds, working with EDC’s Center for Children and Technology. As a yearly community service event 1P organizes an annual Symposium on Games in Education (www.gamesineducation.org). 1st Playable Productions LLC is located in Troy, NY. More information about 1st Playable Productions can be found online at www.1stplayable.com.

About B Corporations
B Corporations are certified by B Lab, a nonprofit organization serving the world leading entrepreneurs using the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. As of June 1, 2013, there are more than 750 Certified B Corporations from more than 60 industries and 27 countries. For more information contact Katie Kerr katie@bcorporation.net, 610.293.0299.

1st Playable Productions

1st Playable Productions

1st Playable Productions, LLC is an independent game development studio with a focus on handheld games for kids. We're here to make fun and great looking games! The company balances our passion for development of engaging and fun entertainment games with educationally oriented games to inspire and engage kids of all ages. We love finding ways to get more out of limited game platforms, and are a licensed developer for Nintendo 3DS and DS, iOS, Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, as well as other embedded game platforms.

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