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RealArcade (formerly RealOne Arcade) was a gaming service run by RealNetworks that sold casual-style computer games to individual users,[1] launched in 2001. Its purpose was to let users download demo versions of games, and optionally buy the full versions.[2] Beginning in 2005, a mobile version was made available on some carriers.

The service ceased its operations in 2009, completing its merger with the GameHouse portal.

History

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First iteration of RealArcade

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Before RealArcade, RealNetworks had been offering downloadable games (as Real.com Games) since April 2000,[3][4][5] amassing three million downloads by May 2001.[6] Work on what would become RealArcade started in 1999, hiring Ted Woolsey for its development.[7] The service was announced in March 2001, with a consumer launch set for the second quarter. The service was initially limited to developers.[8] Over 30 developers were involved, including GameHouse[4]

On May 14, 2001, RealNetworks launched the beta version[9] of the RealArcade service, in an attempt to diversify its core business assets. The service was created to capitalize on the growth of the videogame industry, and would be used as a platform to boost PC game sales, in a market dominated by console games. Games were set to be priced between $10 and $20.[6] RealNetworks was not the first company to do so, as Shockwave.com had started selling games the week before. RealArcade was set to launch with 120 games.[6] By October, there were now 170 games available. An e-commerce version (RealArcade Gold) was released at the time, with subscribers receiving a $100 credit with the purchase of several games.[10] The rental section, which was added at the time, had eleven titles available, and planned to add three or four new titles per month.[11] It also predicted a potential European user base of 30 million.[12] On March 1, 2002, StarHub Internet became the first ISP in Singapore to distribute the service.[13]

On March 20, 2002, six new language editions of RealArcade's website launched, in French, Italian, German, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese. The move was to increase its international user base. At the time, the program had been downloaded 4.5 million times, with a grand total of 15 million game downloads and 450,000 purchases. The company had teamed up with Telstra, StarHub, Tiscali and Rede Brasil Sul to distribute its games either using their portals or using CDs.[14]

RealONE Arcade

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On July 1, 2002, coinciding with the rebrand of RealPlayer to RealONE Player, RealArcade was renamed RealONE Arcade and added the Game Pass service[15] In October, it inked an agreement with Vivendi Universal's Flipside, enabling access of its competitive games for its user base.[16] An agreement with Sega followed in November 2002 to provide ten emulated Sega Genesis games for download.[17] The games were made available in January 2003,[18] while the Sega game catalog was increased during 2003.[19][20] The service launched the RealOne Arcade Game Developer Showdown in March 2003, with the winner receiving both the game on RealOne Arcade and a prize of $100,000, with a prize of $25,000 for the two runners-up.[21] The winning title was Jammed Again!.[22]

The success of RealOne Arcade in 2003 led to profits for shareware game developers such as PopCap Games and GarageGames.[23] Revenue of RealNetworks' games unit skyrocketed in the third quarter of the year.[24]

Second iteration of RealArcade and closure

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With the acquisition of GameHouse (one of its first providers)[25] in January 2004, the software reverted to its initial name RealArcade.[26] The following month, it announced a deal with Cablevision's Optimum to provide free access to RealArcade to its Optimum Online subscribers.[27] It also launched a Japanese version shortly before Ted Woolsey departed.[7] That year, its strategy and puzzle games were attracting a substantial number of female visitors.[28] New broadband deals in France, Belgium and the Netherlands were announced on October 17, 2005.[29] The mobile version launched in the same month on the O2 carrier in the United Kingdom, using the I-mode mobile internet service.[30] An American launch on Cingular followed suit.[31] A new version, in association with Playphone, was released the following year.[32]

In 2006, RealArcade had about 700,000 game demos downloaded per day.[33] A new developer service launched in May that year.[34] On July 26, it inked deals with three German ISPs and websites, T-Online (Deutsche Telekom), Freenet and RTL. At the time, Germany had the largest PC game market.[35] It published a mobile game based on the South Park Imaginationland trilogy in July 2008.[36][37] That same month, it signed an agreement with Topics Entertainment to distribute some of RealArcade's published titles in the North American retail market.[38] Its mobile games were the highest-scored in the second quarter of 2008 by the quality index of mobile game news website Pocket Gamer, ahead of Gameloft.[39]

RealNetworks announced in 2008 that it would spin off its casual games unit.[40] In December 2008, it started developing six games for iOS platforms, among the first of which was Tiki Towers.[41] The game was also the first title to be ported to WiiWare on December 22.[42] On November 3, 2009, it was announced that RealArcade would merge with GameHouse, forming a single game portal. The corporate rationale suggested that RealArcade was running on "substantially older technology" than GameHouse's website.[43] The mobile service withdrew the name RealArcade in March 2010.[44] The last game published under the brand for mobile services was a licensed game based on the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.[45]

Software

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Consumers downloaded a free RealArcade software, which worked like RealPlayer, here, acting as a portal to download the games. Game files were sped up thanks to a data compression service, which RealNetworks acquired in January 2000 (NetZip).[6] Users of anti-virus programs would have to frequently update the software in order to limit computer slowdowns.[46] A custom version of LithTech was used, which was used in its first game published on the service, Tex Atomic's Big Bot Battles.[47]

The main section was the Game Guide, which featured recommendations and new releases. The Web Games section provided free online games. The Game Channels section provided commercial titles by company.[48] The program had a "Scan for Games" function which automatically recognized all of the games installed on the user's PC. RealArcade also featured forums, which were often related to the games available.[49]

Sales model

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RealArcade distributes games on a time-limited demo basis.[50] Each game downloaded has a trial time of 60 minutes unless differently specified by each publisher. Once the trial time expired, users are required either to uninstall the game from their computer or to purchase the full version of the game.[51] Users can also subscribe to a RealNetworks service called GamePass, introduced in 2002.[52] For a monthly fee, it offers a free ownership of a single game of their choice per month at no additional fees and $5.00 off each game purchase.[53]

Winners of its Game of the Year awards

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General

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Strategy

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References

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  1. ^ Mossberg, Walter (September 11, 2003). "Gore-Free PC Games Can Help While Away Those Senior Moments". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ^ Ryan, Michael E. (January 8, 2001). "PC Magazine Reviews: RealArcade". Retrieved December 14, 2008.
  3. ^ Real.Com Gets Into Games
  4. ^ a b RealNetworks bows platform
  5. ^ Real.com Games Site Growing
  6. ^ a b c d RealArcade makes online games available
  7. ^ a b Cifaldi, Frank (August 29, 2005). "Playing Catch-Up: Ted Woolsey". Gamasutra.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012. Retrieved 2007-09-12.
  8. ^ RealNetworks Launches RealArcade
  9. ^ RealNetworks Debuts RealArcade Beta
  10. ^ RealArcade goes gold
  11. ^ RealNetworks to rent online video games. New Straits Times.
  12. ^ RealNetworks lance RealArcade en Europe
  13. ^ StarHub Internet Introduces RealArcade In Singapore
  14. ^ RealArcade goes after international players
  15. ^ Real issues GamePass in sub battle
  16. ^ Deals stream for top techs
  17. ^ Sega on the PC
  18. ^ [https://www.eurogamer.net/article-47178 Sega launches pay-to-play 'classics' ]
  19. ^ "Sega.com". 2003-12-08. Archived from the original on 2003-12-08. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
  20. ^ Sonic & Knuckles Lands on RealOne Arcade, Sonic Spinball Coming Soon
  21. ^ Real Networks Announces $100k Downloadable Game Development Contest
  22. ^ Game Developer - October 2006
  23. ^ The return of shareware
  24. ^ RealArcade, GameHouse 250 Million Downloads. But Who’s Counting?
  25. ^ RealNetworks to Acquire Gamehouse
  26. ^ Game-Maker Gets Real With Web Streamer
  27. ^ Cablevision users get RealArcade
  28. ^ Move over boys. The Vindicator.
  29. ^ RealArcade Continues European Expansion With Distribution To Leading Media Companies
  30. ^ Netsize powers RealArcade for O2's i-mode
  31. ^ RealNetworks, Cingular back casual games
  32. ^ "RealNetworks Launches RealArcade Mobile Content Site with PlayPhone". real.com. RealNetworks. September 13, 2006. Archived from the original on September 2, 2007. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  33. ^ RealArcade head talks casual game growth
  34. ^ RealNetworks introduces RealArcade
  35. ^ RealNetworks continues European expansion of RealArcade and Zylom casual games with distribution to leading media companies
  36. ^ South Park Imaginationland heads to mobile
  37. ^ South Park Imaginationland hits iPhone
  38. ^ RealNetworks selects Topics Entertainment as Exclusive Distributor RealArcade Games in North America - Quick Facts
  39. ^ RealArcade tops PG.biz Quality Index for Q2 2008
  40. ^ RealNetworks spins off games
  41. ^ Tiki Towers heralds iPhone expansion for RealArcade
  42. ^ RealArcade Interview - Tiki Towers
  43. ^ RealArcade and GameHouse to merge into one online game portal
  44. ^ RealArcade Mobile rebranded as GameHouse on carrier decks
  45. ^ RealArcade Releases Vancouver 2010 iPhone Game
  46. ^ Check out online card and board games. Gainesville Sun.
  47. ^ LithTech, RealNetworks Combine Technologies For New RealArcade Distribution Platform
  48. ^ XPress Yourself - Windows XP and games - Darren Lock
  49. ^ RealArcade (beta)
  50. ^ Review: RealArcade for PC gamers
  51. ^ Fantasy worlds and foreign lands
  52. ^ Real issues GamePass in sub battle
  53. ^ "GamePass by RealArcade". Archived from the original on October 10, 2008. Retrieved December 14, 2008.
  54. ^ "Zuma". PopCap.com. Archived from the original on 24 May 2007. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  55. ^ "Build-a-lot". realarcade.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
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