4.5 Million Downloads of RealArcade, 15 Million Individual Game Downloads
And Over 450 Thousand Unique Game Purchasers Since Launch
Expands Globally With the Roll-Out of Six Foreign Language Game Sites
And International Distribution of RealArcade
SEATTLE and Game Developers Conference, Booth #1718, SAN JOSE, March 20
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- RealNetworks(R), Inc. (Nasdaq: RNWK), the global
leader in Internet media delivery, today announced that consumers have
downloaded more than 4.5 million copies of RealArcade since its debut in
May 2001, and have used it to download more than 15 million games to date.
The RealArcade software provides consumers with play-before-you-pay access to
the best in online games, as well as game information, download and
installation management, and integrated e-commerce -- making the acquisition
and play of online, downloadable games a fun, easy and reliable experience for
consumers, and providing a scalable, profitable business model for its game
developers.
Unlike the retail games market, which primarily targets younger males,
RealArcade is targeted toward and reaches a wide range of demographics
segmented by genre of gameplay. With this approach, RealArcade can offer
high-energy action games to engage young males as well as provide high quality
puzzle and card games that appeal to both female and more mature audiences.
The fact that over 450 thousand unique users have purchased one or more
premium online games through RealArcade establishes RealArcade as the first
substantial digital distribution platform for PC games.
"The interest RealArcade has generated from consumers, game publishers and
developers is phenomenal," said Andrew Wright, general manager, Games
Division, RealNetworks, Inc. "It is evident by the rapid consumer adoption
and compelling economics that RealArcade is a very attractive alternative to
traditional CD retail game distribution."
For game creators and publishers, RealArcade provides all the ingredients
necessary for developers to build a profitable business around the online
delivery of their games. RealNetworks provides them with state-of-the-art
game development and packaging tools, marketing and promotion through
RealNetworks' distribution networks and full circle back-end e-commerce
support. In addition, game developers can to harness the power of the
RealArcade consumer base to monetize their PC games.
"Digital distribution through RealArcade has far exceeded our
expectations," said Garr Godfrey, president and CTO of GameHouse. "We can
introduce compelling new games to the RealArcade audience and experience a
return on our investment that is measured in weeks, not years!"
RealArcade is also the featured games offering within RealOne(TM)
SuperPass, offering its subscribers a free game download each month, as well
as access to ad-free online web games, in addition to the brand-name news,
sports and entertainment offerings in RealOne SuperPass.
RealNetworks also introduced today six new international RealArcade games
sites, offering a global online game experience in the following languages:
French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch and Portuguese. To complement the
release of these sites, several key global distribution partners were
announced:
-- Telstra, Australia's leading Telecommunications company, is
currently distributing RealArcade online via the Telstra Multimedia
guide as well as promoting RealArcade through their "Ponderings"
newsletter which reaches almost 1 million ISP customers.
-- StarHub Internet, StarHub Internet, a leading ISP and wholly owned
subsidiary of Singapore's innovative info-communications provider,
StarHub Pte Ltd, will distribute RealArcade through its online
gaming portal at http://gaming.starhub.net.sg/ as well as its
Surf-For-Free Internet starter kits.
-- Tiscali S.p.A., the European Internet Company, with local operations
in 14 European countries as well as in South Africa, will deliver
RealArcade software on all CDs that it distributes throughout
Europe, in addition to advertising RealArcade on its 11 European
websites.
-- RBS (Rede Brasil Sul), the largest media and Internet communications
group in southern Brazil, will distribute RealArcade through a newly
created games topic center in its portal http://www.ClicRBS.com.br.
"We are excited to be working with RealNetworks to offer our European
customers this great new online game service," said Mario Mariani, Senior Vice
President, Access & Applications, Tiscali S.pA. "By combining our world-class
Internet access and RealNetworks' RealArcade software, we are able to add
value to our product offering and offer games that appeal to casual,
mainstream and traditional gamers alike."
About RealArcade
RealArcade offers consumers a fun, unique and compelling way to discover,
acquire and play PC games-- bringing together a wide array of games and
services in a single, easy to use environment. RealArcade provides
play-before-you-pay access to the best in online games (titles such as
Collapse, Diamond Mine, Evernight and Red Ace Squadron), full-version digital
downloads, free online Web games, and massive multiplayer games. Integrated
game manuals, message boards, user ratings, chat rooms and multi-player
matching enable RealArcade users to play their games with greater ease and
knowledge. RealArcade also recognizes and manages most retail CD titles and
top shareware games, giving users an all-in-one service for any game on their
PC. Features such as download and installation management, automatic testing
of systems requirements and integrated e-commerce make acquiring online,
downloadable games a fun, easy and reliable experience for consumers, while
maintaining a scalable, profitable business model for its game developers.
RealArcade is available for immediate download at http://www.realarcade.com .
About RealNetworks
RealNetworks, Inc. is the global leader in Internet media delivery. It
develops and markets software products and services designed to enable users
of personal computers and consumer electronic devices to send and receive
audio, video and other multimedia services using the Web. Consumers can
access and experience audio/video programming and download RealNetworks'
consumer software on the Internet at http://www.real.com. RealNetworks'
systems and corporate information is located on the Internet at
http://www.realnetworks.com.
NOTE: RealNetworks, RealArcade, RealOne, and Real.com are trademarks or
registered trademarks of RealNetworks, Inc. All other companies or products
listed herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
owners.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks
and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from the results
predicted. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from the results
predicted include risks associated with RealNetworks' and its game developers'
ability to develop, license and/or market new game technologies and services;
risks associated with the ability of RealNetworks to technically integrate
game developer technologies with RealArcade; risks associated with the
sustained adoption and use of RealArcade or games available in RealArcade by
consumers, including the uncertainty of whether consumers will continue to pay
for online games, which is a relatively new and unproven business model;
factors impacting RealNetworks' and/or any game developers' businesses that
may impact the timing of, adoption of or use of RealArcade or any game
available in RealArcade; and competitive risks, including competing
technologies, products and services. More information about potential risk
factors that could affect RealNetworks' business and financial results is
included in RealNetworks' annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2001, and from time to time in other reports filed by
RealNetworks with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
SOURCE RealNetworks, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.real.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/gh/cnoc/comp/119814.html
CONTACT:
press only, Molly McCarthy, +1-206-892-6602,
or mollym@real.com, or Lisa Amore, +1-206-674-2221, or
lamore@real.com, both of RealNetworks, Inc.
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