Casual sports games developer Play Hard Sports has closed an $8 million second round of funding. Valhalla Partners led the round, with additional funds from TriplePoint Capital and existing investor New Enterprise Associates. Foxboro, Mass.-based Play Hard has raised $13 million since its launch in April 2008; its first title, Play Hard Football, is slated for a beta launch within the next few months. 

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Though the casual games space has been a hit with advertisers across the board, Play Hard’s planned hybrid subscription/ad-supported business model is what attracted the additional investment. Scott Frederick, general partner at Valhalla, said the firm was “confident that Play Hard Sports’ pioneering ‘freemium’ model will be successful.” CEO and founder Jeffrey Anderson said the company will use the funds to grow its game portfolio and secure marketing, licensing and sponsorship deals. Release.