RealArcade (formerly RealOne Arcade) was a gaming service operated by RealNetworks that distributed casual computer games. The platform, launched in 2001, allowed users to download demo versions of games before purchasing full titles. RealNetworks expanded the service to mobile carriers in 2005. RealArcade ceased operations in 2009 following its merger with GameHouse.
History First iteration of RealArcade Prior to the development of RealArcade, RealNetworks had been offering downloadable games as Real.com Games since April 2000,Real.Com Gets Into GamesReal.com Games Site Growing amassing three million downloads by May 2001. Development on RealArcade began in 1999 under Ted Woolsey. The service was announced for developers in March 2001, with a consumer launch set for the second quarter.RealNetworks Launches RealArcade Over 30 developers were involved, including GameHouse.RealNetworks bows platform
On May 14, 2001, RealNetworks launched the beta version of RealArcade in an attempt to diversify its core business assets.RealNetworks Debuts RealArcade Beta The service was created to take advantage of the growth of the video game 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.RealArcade makes online games available RealNetworks was not the first company to do so, as Shockwave.com had started selling games using a similar model the week before.
RealArcade was set to launch with 120 games; by October 2001, there were 170 games available. An e-commerce version, RealArcade Gold, was released on October 10, 2001, with subscribers receiving a $100 credit towards purchases made on the platform.RealArcade goes gold RealArcade Gold also launched with a video game rental service. On launch, eleven titles were available, with plans to add three to four new titles per month. The company predicted a potential European user base of approximately 30 million users, which was the same amount of users RealPlayer had.RealNetworks lance RealArcade en Europe
On March 1, 2002, StarHub Internet became the first ISP in Singapore to distribute the service.StarHub Internet Introduces RealArcade In Singapore On March 20, 2002, six new language editions of RealArcade's website launched in a move to increase its international user base: French, Italian, German, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese. At the time, the program had been downloaded 4.5 million times, with a total of 15 million game downloads and 450,000 purchases. The company had partnered with Telstra, StarHub, Tiscali and Rede Brasil Sul to distribute its games, either through their online portals or physically on CDs.RealArcade goes after international players
RealONE Arcade On July 1, 2002, coinciding with the rebrand of RealPlayer to RealONE Player, RealArcade was renamed RealONE Arcade, and the Game Pass service was added.Real issues GamePass in sub battle In October, it entered an agreement with Vivendi Universal's Flipside unit, enabling access to Flipside's games for RealONE Arcade subscribers.Deals stream for top techs A similar agreement with Sega followed in November 2002 to provide ten emulated Sega Genesis games for download,Sega on the PC were made available in January 2003.[https://www.eurogamer.net/article-47178 Sega launches pay-to-play 'classics' ] The Sega game catalog increased during 2003 with the addition of new titles.Sonic & Knuckles Lands on RealOne Arcade, Sonic Spinball Coming Soon The service launched the RealOne Arcade Game Developer Showdown in March 2003, with the winner receiving both the opportunity to release the game on RealOne Arcade and a prize of $100,000, and a prize of $25,000 for the two runners-up.Real Networks Announces $100k Downloadable Game Development Contest The winning title was Jammed Again!Game Developer - October 2006
The success of RealOne Arcade in 2003 led to profits for shareware game developers such as PopCap Games and GarageGames.The return of shareware Revenue of RealNetworks' games unit skyrocketed in the third quarter of the year.RealArcade, GameHouse 250 Million Downloads. But Who's Counting?
Second iteration of RealArcade and closure With the acquisition of GameHouse (one of its first providers)RealNetworks to Acquire Gamehouse in January 2004, the software reverted to its initial name RealArcade.Game-Maker Gets Real With Web Streamer The following month, it announced a deal with Cablevision's Optimum to provide free access to RealArcade to its Optimum Online subscribers.Cablevision users get RealArcade It also launched a Japanese version shortly before Ted Woolsey departed. That year, its strategy and puzzle games were attracting a substantial number of female visitors. New broadband deals in France, Belgium and the Netherlands were announced on October 17, 2005.RealArcade Continues European Expansion With Distribution To Leading Media Companies The mobile version launched in the same month on the O2 carrier in the United Kingdom, using the I-mode mobile internet service.Netsize powers RealArcade for O2's i-mode An American launch on Cingular followed suit.RealNetworks, Cingular back casual games A new version, in association with Playphone, was released the following year.
In 2006, RealArcade had about 700,000 game demos downloaded per day.RealArcade head talks casual game growth A new developer service launched in May that year.RealNetworks introduces RealArcade On July 26, it signed deals with three German ISPs and websites: T-Online (Deutsche Telekom), Freenet and RTL. At the time, Germany had the largest PC game market in the world.RealNetworks continues European expansion of RealArcade and Zylom casual games with distribution to leading media companies It published a mobile game based on the South Park Imaginationland trilogy in July 2008.South Park Imaginationland heads to mobileSouth Park Imaginationland hits iPhone That same month, it signed an agreement with Topics Entertainment to distribute some of RealArcade's published titles in the North American retail market.RealNetworks selects Topics Entertainment as Exclusive Distributor RealArcade Games in North America - Quick Facts 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.RealArcade tops PG.biz Quality Index for Q2 2008
RealNetworks announced in 2008 that it would spin off its casual games unit. In December 2008, it started developing six games for iOS platforms, among the first of which was Tiki Towers.Tiki Towers heralds iPhone expansion for RealArcade The game was also the first title to be ported to WiiWare on December 22.RealArcade Interview - Tiki Towers 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.RealArcade and GameHouse to merge into one online game portal The mobile service withdrew the name RealArcade in March 2010.RealArcade Mobile rebranded as GameHouse on carrier decks The last game published under the brand for mobile services was a licensed game based on the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.RealArcade Releases Vancouver 2010 iPhone Game
Software Consumers downloaded a free RealArcade program, which worked similarly to RealPlayer and acted 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). Users of anti-virus programs would have to frequently update the software in order to limit computer slowdowns. A custom version of LithTech was used, which was used in its first game published on the service, Tex Atomic's Big Bot Battles.LithTech, RealNetworks Combine Technologies For New RealArcade Distribution Platform
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.XPress Yourself - Windows XP and games - Darren Lock 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.RealArcade (beta)
Sales model RealArcade distributed games on a time-limited demo basis.Review: RealArcade for PC gamers Each game downloaded had a trial time of 60 minutes unless differently specified by each publisher. Once the trial time expired, users were required either to uninstall the game from their computer or to purchase the full version of the game.Fantasy worlds and foreign lands Users could also subscribe to a RealNetworks service called GamePass, introduced in 2002.Real issues GamePass in sub battle For a monthly fee, it offered free ownership of a single game of their choice per month at no additional fees and $5.00 off each game purchase.
Winners of its Game of the Year awards General 2004: Zuma
Strategy 2007: Build-a-lot
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