• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, May 31, 2011

With a new Web platform, HSN is looking to tap into females' increased interest in online casual game playing. The HSN Arcade offering will feature the opportunity to play 25 games on HSN's site, while the network's feed streams live alongside on the same screen.

The live streaming will be in HD as the home shopping network increases its push to build its e-commerce operations, with the hope that the games will make its site a destination where people will stay rather than browse.

Game players can easily buy the last 15 items shown on air and swiftly interact with other people via Facebook.

Users can win prizes, such as the "Today's Special" product or gift cards, by swiftly completing a jigsaw puzzle (one of the 25 games) and posting a top score. There will also be tournaments with HSN guests and hosts. HSN will be able to name the winners on TV and on other properties in real-time.

Jill Braff, HSN's head of digital commerce, stated that HSN Arcade is "a strategic move to further differentiate the HSN shopping experience...by combining what people currently do online more than any other activities: shopping, gaming and sharing."

HSN said figures show that 140 million-plus people play casual games online, which would be 60% of the U.S. population.

Among the free games are Sudoku, Blackjack and Word Search, and HSN has plans to launch others.

Entertainment agency WME helped facilitate the launch of HSN Arcade with game developer Arkadium providing the technical backbone.