Ex-Playdom GM Lloyd Melnick joins social-mobile outfit 519 Games as CEO

Social start-up 519 Games has a new CEO in the form of Lloyd Melnick, formerly of the Walt Disney Company's social games division Playdom.

Melnick's new company is a co-venture between local US media outfits The EW Scripps Company and Capitol Broadcasting. Its first games are expected in 2012.

Melnick was at Playdom for a year, in which time he helped the company grow its business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Thank you and goodnight

"We are currently building a fantastic team and will be one of the top five social gaming companies (both social web and social mobile) by the end of 2012," posted Melnick on his personal blog, concerning 519 Games.

He also took the time to thank his former co-workers.

"Although it is difficult to articulate, I met literally hundreds of people who had larger than life personalities, all unique, all creative and all helpful," he said.

"It was this great collection of people that helped me learn and grow professionally that I can now move on to the biggest opportunity I have ever had."

Disney acquired Playdom in a $763 million deal in July 2010, as it began to make a push into social gaming; a figure that now seems rather rich.

[source: The Business of Social Games blog]